Unexpected Plans
by InuFan-Kenhandora
Summary: Aang hopes to marry Katara. Toph doesn't want to get married at all. When fate steps in and stirs up their plans, how will these two friends manage? And how have they and the others changed in the six years since the war with the Fire Nation ended? TAANG!
1. His Story

**Chapter One: His Story**

Aang sat close to a burning fire, gently coaxing it to burn a bit brighter and warmer with his firebending. Once where he wanted it, he pulled his knees up to his chest and laid an arm across them, gazing blankly into the fire. Behind him Appa groaned and rolled over in his sleep. It was late, and he knew it, but he just wasn't tired. His mind kept buzzing with thoughts that kept him awake. He sighed and slouched back to lean against Appa and gaze at the sky. _Why do things always end up going ways I don't want them too?_

It had been a rough few days for him. Heck, it had been a rough few _years_ for him. Being the role model for an entire world was taking its toll on him and he felt more like he was eighty instead of eighteen. Thinking back, his defeat of Fire Lord Ozai was easy compared to the political debates and financial problems that plagued the nations in the aftermath of the war. And it was he, the Avatar, who had to play mediator to it all. He was almost jealous of his friends. After the war, they got to return home and pick up their lives. They got to live like normal teenagers. Aang never had the chance to leave the spotlight.

While he was busy at summit meetings between the nations, helping sort out budgets and campaigning for funds to rebuild parts of the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Fire Nation that had been decimated in the war, Katara and Sokka had returned to the South Pole with their father, and Suki and the freed Kyoshi Warriors had gone back to their village to salvage what had been destroyed. Zuko had taken up the mantle of Fire Lord, but he had been raised to take on such responsibilities and took to them with ease. In fact, in most of the letters Aang had received from him, Zuko seemed to enjoy his new role as leader of the Fire Nation. And Toph, well, the last Aang had heard, Toph had returned back to her family in Gaoling. He hadn't seen much of her after the war, except at a few special events to celebrate their achievements, and of course, when Sokka and Suki had gotten married.

He had managed to keep in touch with the others though. For quite some time, he and Katara had nurtured their budding romance, and he made many frequent visits to her and Sokka in the South Pole. Those were probably the best part of the recent post-war years. However, more and more problems that required his attention kept him away and eventually his visits to her were far and few between. They exchanged letters regularly, but it never seemed enough and he often longed to see her. He wanted to hold her in his arms and shower her with kisses.

That was why he was so excited when he heard the good news that she had been offered the prestigious role of an ambassador of peace on behalf of the Water Tribe. That meant that she would likely be coming to live in Ba Sing Se permanently. However that was where things went sour for Aang.

-_Back in Ba Sing Se_-

Aang had spent the day pacing the halls of the Earth King's palace, checking and rechecking to make sure everything was in order before Katara and her father arrived. Aang couldn't remember ever being more excited over one of the monthly meetings between representatives from all the nations. Impatiently, he pulled the most recent letter from Katara out of his sleeve and read it.

_Dear Aang,_

_I've got some great news! During a recent trip to the Northern Water Tribe, my father and I had a discussion with Chief Arnook. It's been difficult for my father to travel from the South to the North, then to the Earth Kingdom in order to make sure that the needs of both Water Tribe's are reflected to the Nations Council. Sokka isn't yet prepared enough to step up to the role of Chieftain and it is difficult for either my father or Chief Arnook to leave the poles without proper leadership in order to come to the Council meetings. So it was decided that a representative was needed to stay in Ba Sing Se and deliberate on behalf of our people._

_You wouldn't believe it, but they chose me! They decided that since I've had previous dealings with people from the different nations that I'd be the best candidate for the job. It will be so great, I'll be coming to live in Ba Sing Se, and then we will be able to spend more time with one another. My father and I will be arriving in one of the harbors in a few days and from there we'll be taking a caravan to the city. We'll be arriving before the next council meeting. I can't wait to see you!_

_Love,_

_Katara_

Aang smiled as he read the words again. When he'd first gotten the letter he felt like bursting with joy. He was finally going to spend time with her like they had when they were younger. It was as if fate was putting everything into motion for him. For months before he had been gnawing over the decision, and when he'd finally made up his mind and planned to make a trip to visit her, some diplomatic problem arose that he had to help take care of, and his plans kept getting pushed further back. But now, it seemed that he was being given the chance.

Aang was going to ask Katara to be his bride. For six years he had been in love with this woman and now it was finally time to take the next step into the future. He was so sure that she would accept his proposal. After all, she loved him too, and they'd often talked about marriage and what their lives would be like as adults. And now here they were, fully grown and ready.

He paced about a bit more and checked himself in a nearby pond. _Had he shaven? Were his clothes wrinkly? Did he have bad breath? _Aang quickly breathed into his hand and sniffed. _Everything seems perfect!_ He smiled to himself and reached into his pocket, pulling out the special gift he had tucked away. The betrothal necklace glinted in the mid-afternoon sun and he closed his eyes to imagine the look on Katara's face when he gave it to her and proposed.

"Hey there trouble. Lost in daydreams again?" a soft voice called from behind him. A bit startled, he shoved the necklace back into his pocket and turned around. He blushed and rubbed the back of his head with his hand. Katara stood a few paces ahead of him, smiling broadly at him before bounding at him and gathering him in a warm embrace. "I think you got taller."

"Hi Katara." he said in a quiet voice, squeezing her gently before they parted from the hug. "It's been such a long time."

"I know, since Sokka's wedding at least." she smiled again and tilted her head to the side, blushing just a bit. This was when Aang took a good long look at the woman he loved. He was taller than her now, by two or three inches at least. Her long brown hair was no longer braided down her back, but was piled neatly into a low bun. She still had her trademark hair loops, but they were intricately braided and decorated with bright blue and silver beads and pinned into her bun with long blue sticks with white dangling pearls on the end. Her dress was reminiscent of what the nobles in the Earth Kingdom wore, but was made of dark and light blue fabric and trimmed in white. Around her neck, her mother's necklace still remained.

"You look amazing." Aang praised her as he entwined his hands in hers.

"Thanks." she replied, leaning in and hugging him tightly again, this time kissing him softly.

"How is Sokka by the way? And Suki, has she finally adjusted to living in the South Pole?" he questioned.

"He's as energetic as ever. He's still trying to whip the youth into shape and prepare them to be 'strong warriors of the Southern Water Tribe.' Suki, well, Suki has her hands full with little Rizu. I can't imagine how a two year old could cause so much trouble, but I suppose he gets that from Sokka. And she's gotten used to the cold, just not the food." she replied, smiling at the mention of Sokka's antics and sighing at Suki's parenting problems. "But life has been good."

Hakoda had appeared behind them at the top of a set of stairs and called out to them that the representatives were already gathered. "Come on, we'd better get to the Council meeting before we're missed."

"Right." he agreed, taking her hand and leading her into the chambers where the meeting took place that day. It nearly broke his heart when he had to let her go and take his place at the head of the oval shaped table. He watched as Katara sat down between her father and a pudgy representative from one of the outlying Earth Kingdom regions. At the far end of the table sat the Earth King and a stand in for King Bumi, who was back in Omashu overseeing the restoration of the city. On the opposite side of the table from Katara were a couple more Earth Kingdom representatives and representatives from the Fire Nation.

Even after so much time had passed between the war and now, people still seemed to have an aversion to Fire Nation citizens. Because, even though they sat next to the Fire Nation representatives, the man and woman from the Earth Kingdom had left enough space for at least two people to sit between them and the other representatives. He sighed and rested his arm on the table. The last thing he wanted was to listen to the arguments he knew were going to occur that day. He just wanted to sweep Katara off her feet and away from the whole dreary mess.

The meeting started, and while it started out civil, it broke out into a fight over who deserved what. They were the same disputes that happened every month. One nation complained that another was getting too many of the few precious resources that were being provided, such as funding for new projects or the manpower to accomplish them. On top of that, this meeting was also scheduled to discuss new trading routes between the nations and battling over taxes on the imported goods.

However, today, Aang was a little distracted by Katara. She had thrown herself right into the debacle and not only was solving disputes for her own people, but was helping to come up with resourceful solutions to problems that were being presented by the other nations as well. He was in awe of her. And driven by her enthusiasm, he focused more on the meeting than he had in quite a long time, and for once things managed to get taken care of with much less fighting than usual.

He also made the occasional glances towards Katara, who would smile sweetly back at him before returning her attention back into the conversation. By the time the meeting had ended, the representatives were almost civil with one another as they left. The men and women filed out of the room quietly chattering to their assistants over whatever new decisions were made and for them to pass it on to the various others who were involved in the whole ordeal.

Katara had waited until the room had emptied, saying her goodbye to her father and promising to write at every opportunity she could, and then waited for Aang to make his way over to her. He strode over with a bit of a bounce in his step, finally glad it was all over so he could shower her with the attention she deserved.

"So." she said, pausing a minute and smirking softly. "What has changed in Ba Sing Se since I've been here last? Any new shops or…oh, I know, how is Iroh and his tea shop doing? We should go visit him!"

Aang laughed at her candid attitude and took her hand. "Well, I actually made plans ahead of time with him when I heard you were coming. He even offered to make us a traditional Fire Nation meal."

"Sounds wonderful, and I'm starving, let's go." Katara smiled and squeezed his hand. He squeeze back and led her out of the meeting room and down through the streets of Ba Sing Se.

A few hours later, they had filled themselves up on several spicy and unique dishes, as well as some of the best tea that either of them had drank in a long time. All the while Iroh regaled Katara with the various trials and tribulations of being a successful tea shop owner, as well as lamenting that Zuko wasn't sending him letters at least every other day.

Finally, as night had completely fallen over the city, they ventured out onto the veranda. Aang watched as she rushed to look at the twinkling lights sparking to life throughout the houses of Ba Sing Se. This was his chance: a quiet, romantic moment where the two were completely alone. He reached into his pocket and retrieved the necklace while she was turned away from him. He smoothed it out and wiped the carved stone with his shirt.

"Oh, Aang, this is spectacular." Katara said, turning back towards him. By this time, he was down on one knee and held out the betrothal necklace towards her. It was made of a sky blue velvet band, and he had meticulously hand carved the Air Nomad symbol into an opaque pale yellow stone.

"Katara, you have held my heart since I met you, and because of that it would make me most honored if you would become my wife." Aang spoke flawlessly, which made him glad he had practiced it every night before he went to bed. He looked up at her, but instead of seeing her face glowing with joy, she had only a half smile and looked at him in a way that made him feel like a fool.

She walked over to him and took his hands, pulling him to his feet. She was quiet for a moment and took the necklace from him to examine it before placing it gently back in his hands. Then she looked up at him. "Aang. This is such a sweet gesture, but I can't accept your proposal."

"Why?" he choked out, his voice cracking just a bit. "You, you aren't involved with someone else are you? Someone from your home?"

"No, Aang, it's nothing like that." she sighed and scowled a bit, clearly trying to chose her words so that they wouldn't hurt him. "It's just that I _just_ accepted to be an ambassador for my people. I moved away from my home to be here. I'm just not in a position to accept all the duties that being your wife entails. And I…I'm just no longer sure how I feel about us."

"So you don't love me anymore?" he could feel his heart climbing up his throat and slowly choking him. "Is that what you're telling me?"

"No it's not. I do love you, with all my heart, but…" she spoke.

"Then, why Katara? Why?" he turned away from her and fought back his tears.

"Aang, we haven't seen each other face to face in almost three years. I need to know if we _both_ truly feel the same way about each other still." she said, walking around to face him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "So, maybe you should hold onto that necklace, and maybe, in a few years, after I've settled, we'll see how things are."

He shrugged her hands away and looked at her, a few escaped tears trailing down his cheeks. "Katara…"

He could see that she was fighting back her own tears and she turned away from him. "I'm sorry. I've got to go home now."

And with those final words Katara walked away from him and disappeared in the night. They saw little of each other after that, and Aang had to push himself to stay strong and not let her rejection make him lose face. He would not run away again. However, at the next Nations Council meeting, he couldn't handle it any longer. His green-eyed, heartbroken demon came crawling to the surface.

Katara was a beautiful woman, as well as powerful, and the men around her noticed. It wasn't long before she was asked to have lunch or dinner with one of the representatives so they might discuss "politics." She had always politely turned them down, but Aang just couldn't take it. What if at some point she accepted one of those invitations? What if she fell in love with someone else? After a short break in the meeting to get some air and clear heads, where the men swarmed Katara with their compliments, the Council returned to session and he made a startling announcement.

"I'm taking a leave of absence from the Nations Council for a few months." Aang spoke in a commanding voice that silenced some bickering that had started. The Earth King was the first to jump from his seat and object, which left the entire Council shouting questions and objections to his announcement. Katara just sat there and stared at him before scowling and excusing herself from the proceedings.

"Why do you feel the need to…to…to abandon the Council so suddenly without any notice?" a young woman from the Fire Nation asked, choking on her words.

"I just feel that for too long I've spent my time mediating your debates and I feel that my time could be better spent visiting the other nations and helping them personally." he answered coolly.

"Preposterous!" the fat representative from the Earth Kingdom declared. "What do you think gallivanting across the globe will do to solve the problems of our people?"

"I think it might help stop a lot of the disputes that have been arising lately. I think that if the people saw the Avatar personally coming to help them in their time of need, they might feel more encouraged to reach out and help those around them." he shot back, shutting the man up. "What people need isn't to have some stuffy representatives sitting around a crowded room bickering endlessly. What they need is to be shown that someone in a seat of power cares, and by doing so, might promote the unity between our nations that is dearly needed."

Two days later, he had already packed away the things he would need for his trip. Most of it was the basic travel necessities as well enough food for a couple of weeks. He figured that whatever else he might need he could find in his travels. He had also provided the Council with a rough estimate for when they might expect him to return. He was busy tying things down to Appa's saddle when he heard someone shuffling in behind him. He turned around and faced the person, only to come face to face with an unhappy looking Katara. He turned away from her without saying a word and began leading the bison out of the large stable and into the yard.

"I can't believe you're doing this." she said, following him. He ignored her. He knew that if he paid attention that she might make him stay, and he wanted to be anywhere but in Ba Sing Se. He patted Appa, and climbed up around the animal's neck.

"This is foolish! You're supposed to be the symbol of peace to the world. And now you're just…just running away like a child!" she spat at him in frustration, trying to incite an argument as she moved to stand in front of Appa, forcing him to look her in the eye. And that's when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I won't forgive you if you do this Aang!"

As much as it hurt to see her look at him like that, he didn't want to be around as the suitors came knocking down her door. He had never liked competition. And, he hoped, that this little stint around the world might help clear his head. He turned away from her and lifted Appa's reigns. "Goodbye Katara. Appa. Yip yip."

* * *

And that, more or less, was how Aang found himself in his current position. He sighed and got up from Appa, who groaned again and kicked out in his sleep, bopping Aang and nearly making him lose his balance. He quickly recovered by blowing at the ground and settling himself back on two feet. He grumbled, and grabbed a few logs from a nearby pile to throw onto the fire. Once done with that he plunked back down again, crossed his arms and stared at his feet.

"Stupid Council…stupid representatives…stupid, stupid me." he complained to himself.

"Will you quit yakking to yourself you yokel? Some of us are trying to get our beauty sleep!" a feminine voice chided from the other side of the fire. Aang looked up to see Toph stomping over from her rock tent and plunked down next to the fire, warming her hands and rubbing them on her calves. "Really, how do you expect anyone to get some rest when you're stomping around like a three year old who just had his favorite toy taken away?"

Aang sighed and thought to himself._ Yep, definitely not the way I saw things going at all._


	2. Her Story

**This chapter is dedicated to the following:  
**

**FROM :**  
**The Gandhara**

**FROM DEVIANTART:**  
**brklynbaby4295**  
**foreverrussia1**  
**tenneyshoes**  
**TVMaster2000**  
**elfin-princess**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Her Story**

Toph knew it wasn't going to be a good morning as soon as she woke up, but that was probably because she had been roused from her sleep well before she had wanted. The young girl had tried to silently sneak into the bedroom to wake her, but Toph knew she was there from the moment she stepped into the room. She sat up on the futon and carelessly kicked the blanket off to the side.

"What is it Miyu?" she asked in a less than thrilled voice.

"Another one." Miyu replied with a sigh. Toph scratched her head and ran her fingers through her long messy hair before jumping up off the floor and landing with a resounding thud. Miyu handed her a brown and gold robe, which she casually shrugged over her shoulders and left hanging open.

"Fifth one this month." the girl continued. "Your folks seem to be getting more insistent."

"What's this one like?" Toph was already heading for the door, while the younger girl followed behind her. She rubbed her temples and thought of how the whole fiasco began.

It started when she had returned home after the war. Her parents swarmed her at the gates and showered her with hugs and praise. Her mother had been in tears. It was a nice reunion, she supposed. They were so happy to have her home that they promised her the freedom that she had always wanted. However, after a while, they started going back to their old ways. They dressed her up like a china doll, only this time they dragged her around Gaoling like some prize, showing her off to their wealthy friends. After the first couple of years of that, she had already had enough. Her parents were driving her insane.

Luckily, Toph's hometown had been so proud of her accomplishments that they had offered her anything that she wanted. She had turned them down at first, not really wanting anything but to go back to her home. That changed, and she requested to be given Master Yu's Earthbending Academy, which had fallen into disrepair after he failed to return, as well as a sizeable plot of land up the hill from the academy. The heads of Gaoling graciously agreed and she hadn't gone home since.

It took her a while, but she managed to fix the place up and reopened the Academy, catering specifically to daughters of the wealthy families of the city. She had also had her own small estate constructed on the hill top. It was in the perfect spot to allow her enough room to live the way she wanted. Still, her parents worried about how she would take care of herself and had sent Miyu, an orphan of the war who was only three years younger than herself, to work in her home as a maid, and whatever else their daughter might need. Toph hadn't liked it at first, but Miyu had become an invaluable companion as well being a talented earthbender that Toph had trained personally.

Still, her parents were overprotective and thought that their daughter still needed someone, a husband, to look after her. It wasn't long after she'd moved that the suitors started lining up at her door.

"This guy is more pushy and demanding than what your parents usually send." Miyu said, trailing behind her teacher. "I suppose they've finally realized that sending suitors who come here and plan to sweep you off your feet with their charm and good looks doesn't work."

"Hm…how to execute this then?" Toph thought out loud before turning back towards the younger girl. "Strategically aimed rock javelins?"

"That would be good, but you've been favoring those lately. You need something that packs a real punch." Miyu pointed out as she balled her left fist and punched her right palm with it. "I know! Encase him in a boulder and send him rolling down the hillside. You haven't done that in a long time!"

"I think you've been hanging around me for too long, but it sounds like a good idea." Toph said with a smirk, mussing the girl's hair as she went to the door. She swung it open and came face to face with the latest of her parents suitors. Miyu glanced over Toph's shoulder at the man, waiting to see him helplessly careening down the hill.

The man smiled at her and bowed down. "Ah, Miss Bei Fong, I am Huang Ze and your parents…"

"Stuff it." Toph interrupted, stomping the ground and raising a bunch of dirt that quickly crammed into the man's mouth. He stumbled back and started spitting out the dirt. Toph took a stance and slammed the other foot down, sending slabs of rock jutting up from the ground. She lifted them and sent them flying at Huang Ze, but was surprised when he deflected them with a protective wall of earth.

"Heh, an earthbender? That's a change." she said, leaning on the doorframe. The man flung his arms up pulling boulders from the ground and sent them flying towards her. She dodged just in time to avoid being slammed and the boulders went crashing into the house behind her, and through two of her walls.

"Great!" she growled unhappily, clenching her fists and throwing off her robe, tossing it to Miyu who had backed away to a safe distance. "Now I have to fix that."

Toph stormed out into the early morning light, wearing nothing more than a reddish-brown pair of calf-length pants and a white wrap around her chest. The man laughed and called out. "I can see you're not modest! How charming!"

"You're really on my nerves." she spat back, raising both arms up and swinging them down, sending the ground rolling like a wave at him. This disrupted his balance and sent him crashing through the gate. He got to his feet quickly and sent the earth beneath her feet flying up. She went rolling out the gate and down the hill. Now more pissed off than before, she dug her hands deep into the earth and stopped herself before she rolled right down into the city.

Huang Ze came barreling down the hill, grabbing Toph before she had a chance to get away and held her to the ground. "You want to give up yet?"

"Never!" Toph replied, struggling to get loose.

"Then how about a little proposal." he said, gripping her wrists. "If I win, you have to marry me."

"And if I win?" she asked, getting a leg away from him, using it to kick him in the stomach.

"I'll leave you alone." Huang Ze said flatly, releasing her.

"You're on." Toph said, twist away from the man. She stomped to her feet and bolted for the Academy. The young man turned and watched her racing away, startled when Miyu raced past him to.

"You'd better catch up with her before she barricades the place!" Miyu taunted, sticking out her tongue at him and disappearing down the hillside.

Huang Ze made chase and crashed in through one of the walls of the Academy, scaring the local citizens who cried out in fright as rocks went flying. As the dust settled he could see Toph waiting for him, wearing a suit of earth. Her little assistant was standing on a raised platform of earth cheering for her teacher. "Go get him Sifu!"

"Let's start this!" Toph called from across the way. "First to be knocked through the walls loses!"

"For being the Avatar's sifu, I expected a challenge, but nothing this fun." he said back, cracking his knuckles. "And maybe after a few lessons in manners you'll make a pretty wife for me. Then we'll have a nice story to tell our children!"

* * *

Aang had been traveling south for a few weeks through the Earth Kingdom. He really didn't have an exact plan for where he was going, but he knew the first place he wanted to visit was his former home at the Southern Air Temple. Of course, he'd stopped in a few small villages along the way. While his "leave of absence" was truly intended to just get him away from Ba Sing Se, he wasn't going to make a liar of himself and not help the people who needed him. He had spent two or three days in each place, helping with crops or building new homes. He had even been asked to bless a newborn baby.

Now he had just cleared the Si Wong Desert and Appa was in dire need of a break. He instructed the bison to land in a clearing just outside a small city near the coast. He led Appa into the large gate and was met with a flurry of people who were clamoring to meet him. He said a few words and settled the crowd, who quickly dispersed back to their activities. After that he found a place where Appa could nap and eat some hay, before venturing out into the city in search of supplies.

He found his way into a small market filled with vendors selling everything from fruit and vegetables to rugs and curtains. He stopped at one vendor and appraised some apples on the display, all the while hearing the quiet whispers that the Avatar was there and he could sense the stares of several people. It seemed that word was spreading of his arrival and he was sure that whatever officials there were in the town, they would soon find him and tell him how honored they were that he was there. That's how it was in most of the places he had been. Then he would help with their problems and move on. He was dearly looking forward to nothing but peaceful solitude with just him, Appa, and Momo in the Southern Air Temple.

"And how are you today?" asked a soft-spoken old woman to the vendor.

"Oh, I'm quite well." laughed the vendor. She reminded him a bit of Aunt Wu with the streaks of gray through her brown hair. "Hold for a moment. Hello dear, may I help…oh my. My, my, my, if it isn't the Avatar."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you." Aang said, bowing to the woman.

She giggled and went over to her elderly friend. "Look Mrs. Ling, the Avatar had come to buy fruit from my stall."

Both of the women giggled like little girls before the vendor woman came back. Aang smiled and scratched the back of his head. "How much for the apples?"

"Oh ho ho," said the woman in a chipper tone, stuffing some of the apples into a sack and handing it to him. "Here. No charge. It's not often we get a celebrity visiting our humble city."

"I couldn't possibly…" he started, digging into his pockets for his coin pouch. Before he could managed to get it open, the ground rumbled and the fruit in the vendors stall bounced around wildly.

"Ah, sounds like it's happening again." Mrs. Ling said, rubbing her wrinkled hands together.

"What's going on? Is everything okay?" Aang looked around, searching for the source of the quake.

"Oh my, it's nothing to worry about dear." Yu Lin told him, adjusting her fruit. "They've been up to that all morning. Poor sap should know better than to challenge the Academy's sifu."

"I'd better go see if I can help resolve this dispute." he said, stuffing his coin purse and the sack of apples into a bag at his hip before he snapped open his glider and took off. "Thanks for the apples ma'am!"

"Wait! Poor fellow." Yu Lin shook her head. "It's one thing to challenge the sifu. It's another to interrupt her when she's having fun."

"He'll learn soon enough." Mrs. Ling told her, leaning against the stall. "Especially after she gives him a good wallop. Avatar or not, only a fool would get in her way. Hm, I'll bet you two silver coins he leaves the city with bruises."

"Make it three and I'll bet that he sweeps her off her feet with his sweetness." the vendor woman said, counting the coins in her pocket. "She may be rough around the edges, but even she can't resist the Avatar."

* * *

_This guy is a lot tougher than I thought._ Toph was losing her patience. She was a master earthbender, yet Huang Ze was still managing to push her further and further towards the wall. It was pissing her off, because not only did she hate losing, but she hated that if she lost she would have to marry this fool. And that was the last thing that she ever wanted to do.

She dug her feet into the earth and whipped around a large boulder, pounding her fists to the ground and making the earth around his feet rise up until he was trapped at the top of a high pillar. He swung his arms down and pulled them up, making the earth spiral up around the pillar and back down to the ground. He jumped and slid down, but not before Toph swung her leg around, smashing a boulder and sending shards of needle sharp rock towards him.

He got pinned to the wall, but broke free and sent a barrage of stone towards her. She protected herself by pulling up a wall of earth in front of her. Quickly she back flipped and rolled to her left, smashing her fists into the ground at her feet. She pulled out her fists now encased in stone and used them to punch her way through another barrage of rock from Huang Ze.

Then Toph sent the rock fists flying at him and used them to pin his arms to the ground before sending another set to pin his legs down as well. Now immobilized, he struggled to break free while she sauntered over to him and held him down with her foot. She leaned down and smiled at him. "I learned that move from the Dai Li."

* * *

Aang had circled the city a couple of times, finally pinpointing where the ruckus was coming from. Near the edge of the city was a large open arena that looked like it was in shambles from the combat taking place there. He gently coasted down in time to see a young woman with dark fly-away hair towering over a man in fancy clothes who was pinned to the ground. Off in the corner was another girl on a platform jumping around and cheering. Deciding not to throw himself right into the conflict he landed just behind the platform in time to see the man break free of his earthen shackles and send rock shards at the woman, who dodged them just in the nick time.

Instead, the shards came flying towards him and the young girl on the platform. Aang leapt in front of the girl and twirled his glider around, knocking the shards to the ground. Behind him the girl gave him a hard shove to the side and gave him a nasty glare.

"What do you think you're doing Twinkletoes!" she shouted. "Just when I was about to get in on the action too!"

"Hey, I was just trying to help! You could have gotten killed." he retorted. The girl gave a disgusted snort and pulled a square slab of rock from the wall and smashed it down on his foot with force. "Ouch!"

"I'm an earthbender you putz. I can take care of myself." she said in a way that eerily reminded him of Toph. And as of yet he was still unaware that the woman in the brawl below him was that same girl that he knew.

The shouting from the platform had distracted Toph, and she had turned her head towards the noise, trying to sense out who it was that Miyu was arguing with. Huang Ze used this chance to make a sweeping kick and knocked her down face first. He grabbed her arms and twisted them behind her back and forced her to her feet.

"Let me go!" she shouted through clenched teeth, kicking wildly and trying to pull away.

At this point Aang had seen enough and jumped down from the platform, making his way to the two combatants. "Excuse me!"

"What do you want?" spat the man, who gave the struggling woman a shake to make her hold still.

"I'm going to have to ask you to release that woman." Aang answered, standing up straight so he stared down at the man. He wasn't that much taller than him, but it was enough to hope that it would intimidate him.

"No. As soon as I shove her through that hole in the wall, she has to become my wife." Huang Ze told him as he nodded towards the gaping hole in a nearby wall. "Just who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do?"

"I'm Avatar Aang, and I'm demanding that you release her." This left the man staring wide-eyed, now taking a good look at him. He wore the clothes of an Air Nomad, in the shades of orange and yellow, and wore a beaded necklace with the symbol of the air element. Quickly he released the woman and pushed her away.

"She may be pretty and powerful, but she's not worth fighting the Avatar for." he said, walking away, mumbling the last few words. "You can have her. What a pointless fight."

Aang waited until the other man was out of sight before he reached down and offered his hand to the young woman. Behind him he heard the pattering of feet approaching as Miyu ran up beside him. "Are you okay?"

"Sifu! That was amazing! He was all like crash-bam-smash, and then you were all like kerpow-stomp. And the part with the rock gloves. Ingenious! You're going to have to use those again on the next one." Miyu chattered on. Aang could only stare blankly at the young girl praising the woman. _What kind of person gets into these fights regularly?_

"Damn. I almost had him too. If only you two hadn't been making such a fuss I wouldn't have gotten distracted." Toph said, pushing Aang's hand away and getting up herself before swiftly smacking him across the face.

"What was that for?" he cried out, holding his cheek. The young woman flipped her head down and shook her hands through her hair, knocking out the larger chunks of rock embedded in there before flipping all her hair back behind her head and staring at him with her familiar pale green eyes.

"For ruining my fun." she said with a smile before lightly punching him in the shoulder. "How you been Twinkletoes?"

"Toph? Is that you?" he asked, looking her up and down. It certainly didn't look like that small but tough girl he used to know. This person was a full grown woman. A barely dressed full grown woman. Aang blushed slightly and looked away.

"The one and only." she said, turning away from him and walking away. He stood there and stared for a moment as she and Miyu left him. However, Toph turned back and crossed her arms. "Are you coming?"

"Y…yea." Aang answered, rushing to catch up before they began the trek back up the hill to Toph's home. "Where are we going?"

"My house for a nice cup of early morning tea." Toph said nonchalantly pointing up towards the small home on the hill.

"But it's mid-afternoon." Aang said in a puzzled tone.

"Yea, well, I didn't get an opportunity for tea this morning when I got up." she said with a laugh.

* * *

Once they all had gotten inside, Aang began to wonder even more about what Toph was up to when he saw the broken down walls and scattered rubble in the yard. He asked the girl that lived with Toph, who he learned was called Miyu, and she told him all about the suitors and everything while her sifu had disappeared into another part of the house. She chattered on about some of the different types of men that had shown up at their door over the years while carefully bending the walls back in place.

His friend reemerged into the room, now fully dressed in a long pair of dark green pants that billowed at her ankles and a thigh-length, cap-sleeved brown and yellow button down tunic that she had only fastened to right above her belly button. She had even managed to somewhat tame her long mane of hair by tying it back at the base of her neck, then binding it again down near the ends so that it looked broken into two parts. She was carrying a tray with a tan teapot and three matching cups. They all had they symbol of the Earth Kingdom painted on them in green.

Toph set the tray down on the low table and flopped down onto the floor, not bothering to use a cushion and patted a spot next to her. Aang paused a moment, but walked over and sat down with her. Miyu finished patching the walls and wiped the dust off of her hands before joining them. The younger girl poured the tea while Toph leaned back on her hands.

"So, what brings you to Gaoling? On your way to see Sugar Queen?" she asked with a smile, pointing at him. "And don't lie. Remember, I can tell."

"I remember Toph, don't worry." Aang laughed. It was surprisingly nice to sit and have tea with an old friend. Even if was a bit awkward to be sitting in a somewhat clean and very nice house being served tea. Somehow, when he envisioned visiting Toph at home, he imagined her living underground like the badgermoles.

He picked up the cup in front of him and sipped it before he answered her. "No, actually. I'm on my way to the Southern Air Temple. I just stopped here to let Appa rest and to re-supply."

Toph looked at him with her pale eyes, and even though he knew she couldn't actually see him, it felt as if her eyes were burning holes in him. He wondered if maybe she could tell that he was omitting several details. She smiled and slowly took a drink out of her own cup. "Ah. I'm surprised the big wigs in Ba Sing Se are just let you leave like that. Then again, I'm not one for politics, so you probably have something important to do there."

"Uh, yea." he said quietly, but looked up as she ticked her tongue and wagged a finger at him.

"You're lying. Spill airhead." she told him outright. And for the next few hours he spilled his guts to her while they sat around drinking tea and eating dinner. He told her about all the problems plaguing the world, his difficult time adjusting to the spotlight, and how he wished he could have done what the rest of them did when the war was over: go home. He told her all about Katara and his failed proposal. Even about his brash decision to leave Ba Sing Se. Toph just sat there and listened, waiting until he was done.

She was silent for a few moments while she absorbed the last bits of his story. Then she cocked her head to the side and spoke. "The past is the past. It can't be changed. Stop living for what you've already done and live for what you've yet to do."

"That's it?" Aang asked, a little shocked at her almost cryptic answer. "You sound like Zuko's uncle."

Toph just shrugged her shoulders and got to her feet, wiping her hands on her pants. She picked up the tray of dirty dishes and headed towards the back room. He followed her and stood in the doorway as she plunked the dishware into an empty sink. Then she turned back and looked at him. "What?"

"I wanted to ask, what ever happened to that Lasso guy?" he asked her as she brushed by him. Miyu had fallen asleep on the floor midway through Aang's story and now Toph was gently rousing her and coaxing her to go to her room.

"Who?" she asked after the younger girl had stumbled off.

"You know, about yay high, scruffy brown hair? The one you brought to Sokka and Suki's wedding?" Aang gestured with his hands. He remembered how happy she looked back then. She had even let him do things for her, like bring her a plate of food or open a door for her. It had surprised most of them that she had even brought a guy with her at all. "You two were engaged right? I'm sure he isn't too happy about these suitors banging on your door every month."

"Oh, you mean Yasuo?" she spoke in a withdrawn quiet voice that wasn't like how she was at all. "He…I…we…we split up. Things changed and, well, they just changed and he's gone."

Aang put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry things didn't work out between the two of you. I know how it feels."

"I'm much happier on my own anyway." she said in a more confidant tone, shrugging his hand away. "Who needs a husband any how?"

Both of them were silent for a minute, until Toph stretched out and scratched her neck "Go get Appa from wherever you left him. I have a large enough yard for him. By the way, you're staying the night."

"Toph, I can't." he flustered. "I'm on a schedule."

"Liar." she said, punching him hard in the arm. "Besides, it's already late and I know you don't like traveling at night."

"Fine." he grumbled, making his way for the door.

When he got back to the house, Toph had already gone to bed, leaving all but a single room in the dark. He assumed that was his room to use for the night and he wandered in and went to sleep.

* * *

Toph was glad to wake up of her own free will the next morning. The house was refreshingly quiet and it seemed even Miyu wasn't awake yet. She stretched and yawned loudly as she got out of bed, taking her sweet time to get dressed. After that she wandered out into the yard where Appa lay sound asleep on the grass. She smiled and approached him. He heard her coming and lifted his head to give her a big wet kiss.

"Hey you big lummox, I missed you too." she said, patting him for a little bit while Momo bounded down from the saddle and nuzzled at her neck. She smiled and scratched his ears. "Hi Momo."

After that brief reunion, she took a fighting stance and began practicing her bending movements. Each breath she took was deep and she made sure to keep her connection to the earth. Her movements were fluid and exact, and if they weren't up to par enough for her, she repeated them until they were flawless. It was almost like she was dancing by herself, at least, that was what Aang thought as he watched her from the rooftop.

He had gotten up with the sun in order to have peace and quiet to meditate on the day. Normally he did that mid-morning, but he wasn't sure whether or not Toph would get herself into another brawl. She really was different from how he remembered her. Still a little brazen at times, she had grown into a strong-minded woman. Still there was still something about her that was sad. He thought that maybe it was because they really hadn't kept in contact as much as they had promised.

From what he knew, none of them had really. Sure, Katara had always sent him letters and he usually ran into Zuko on a frequent basis, but that was because he and Katara were involved. And Zuko was the Fire Lord, his job as the Avatar entailed visiting the heads of the nations often. And because he always kept in contact with Katara, he always knew how Sokka and Suki were doing. But he had nearly forgotten about Toph._ Had he ever sent her a letter?_ He was sure he had, but couldn't really remember. _What about the others, did they ever come visit her or write her?_ He had never asked them.

He decided though, that after he got back to Ba Sing Se, he would keep in touch with her more. He might even invite them all there for a nice get together. After all, the last time they had really been together for something fun was when Sokka and Suki got married. And that was already three years ago. He couldn't believe that time passed so fast. He sighed and shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Why are you on my roof?" Toph was now standing with her hands on her hips, staring in his general direction.

"Meditating?" Aang replied.

"Liar. Now get down from there. Miyu made breakfast." she said coolly and walked off into the house. He glided down and followed her in, finding her already sitting at the table eating. He sighed and picked up the last bowl of rice porridge that was sitting on the table. At least back in Ba Sing Se, the people of the palace waited for him to arrive before they even considered eating the meal. He also missed how everyone was courteous to him. Not that Toph wasn't, but she was just a bit more demanding than everyone else. Even Miyu showed him respect by bowing her head when he walked into the room.

Toph had finished well before he or Miyu had, and let out a nice belch afterwards. She then thumped the girl on the back and complimented her on a good breakfast. She then turned to Aang, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her face. "You know, you're going to need some muscle to help you out on your little mission of peace."

Aang swallowed the mouthful of porridge quickly. "No Toph. You're not coming."

"Why not?" she asked, pointing a finger at him.

He backed away a bit and answered. "I don't want any help."

"Who cares about what you _want_? You _need_ me to keep your butt out of trouble." She scoffed, picking at her teeth with the nail on her pinky finger.

"But I'm sure you've got a busy schedule to take care of. Lots better things to do than tag along with a boring old Avatar." Aang laughed, trying to make her smile, and failed.

Toph snapped her fingers and leaned towards her younger companion. "Miyu, what's on my schedule?"

The girl choked on her food and started coughing, before Toph thumped her hard on the back. When Miyu had cleared her throat, she gave her answer. "Sifu, you don't _have_ a schedule. You _hate_ schedules."

"Exactly. See, no problems there." Toph said in an easy-going tone.

"Ahem, sifu?" the girl said quietly.

"Yes Miyu?" Toph answered.

"What about the Academy and the students?" Miyu questioned. "Who's going to train them if you're gone?"

"Damn, hadn't thought of that." Toph put a hand to her chin and rubbed it in silence before her right eyebrow popped up in thought. "Why, you will Miyu! You know all there is about teaching the students."

"M…me? No, sifu, I can't." the girl replied, shaking her head and hands fervently.

"Miyu, you're doing it. You've taught these girls before when I was too tired or too drunk to get out of bed. Think of this as a promotion." the woman was using her most convincing voice and smiled sweetly at the girl. Poor Miyu kept glancing from her Sifu to the Avatar who kept mouthing for her to say no. That was, until Toph gave him a hard punch to the leg.

"Fine, I'll do it." she said in a squeaky voice, burying her face in her hands. "Please Mr. Avatar don't bend me into a pretzel."

That was when both Toph and Aang burst into loud obnoxious laughter while poor Miyu sat there turning a deeper shade of red by the moment. Aang had laughed so hard the tears clouded his eyes and he had to wipe them away. And when he turned to Toph, she had already disappeared on him. "Where'd she go?"

"To her room probably." Miyu said with a groan before she began cleaning up the table. "Sifu is going to be the _death_ of me."

Aang laughed again and patted her head before wandering down the hallway trying to find Toph's room. He found it by listening for the sounds of her clamoring to shove things into a large rucksack. "_What_ in the world are you doing?"

"Packing." was her answer as she grabbed a down pillow and some blankets, stuffing them inside, followed by some clothes that were strewn about the floor. He could also see her carefully sandwiching some bottles of what could only be liquor in between a pair of pants and a bunch of tops. At the very top of the bag she tossed a barely used hairbrush, a headband, and some other various hair accessories.

"Ok, I'll just go get Appa ready then." he said heading out into the large yard and saddling the bison. A moment later Toph came out with the rucksack over her shoulder. She tossed it up into the saddle and then turned to walk away. "Hey wait, where are you going?"

"The market." she told him, digging her coin purse out of her pocket and swung it around on one finger. "I've got to get some eats for this trip."

"Toph, I've already got stuff to eat and I'm in a hurry." he complained, following after as she continued walking away. She could walk fast so he had a hard time catching up with her.

"Liar, you're not in a hurry to be anywhere. And, well I don't eat monk food. I eat meat, for instance. Plus I already went through your things after you went to bed. You've got a lot of fruit and vegetables, but nothing to balance them out." she chided. "You don't even have any rice, for the love of the spirit world."

"Well, excuse me. I've never really had to go shopping before. Katara always did that when we were younger." Aang pointed out. "And when I began living in Ba Sing Se, they did my shopping for me."

"Well, then I've got some things to teach you, don't I?" Toph and he were down into the city now and she made a sharp right turn, heading toward the market he had visited the previous day. "I told you that you needed me."

Half an hour later, Aang was playing packhorse while his friend loaded him up with bags of rice, cooking pots for traveling, and utensils. He sighed in discontent and asked. "Are we done yet?"

"Almost. Come one." she motioned as she veered off towards a fruit vendor.

"Toph. I have plenty of fruit. You said so yourself." he stated, stopping where he stood. She scoffed and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him along until he apologized.

"I'm not here for fruit. I've got to settle some wagers before I leave." she told him, knocking at the doorway and waiting for the vendor to emerge. Aang noticed that this was the same fruit stand he'd been at the day before, where the two older women had been impressed by his visit. A moment later the vendor woman appeared at the doorway, with her older friend behind her.

"Toph, dear, good to see you!" the woman spoke cheerfully. "Mrs. Ling and I were just about to have some tea, interested?"

"Not today Miss Yu Lin." Toph replied sweetly. "I'm just here to settle our monthly bet."

"Is it that time already? Well come in dear while I get a quill and some paper so we can tally things." Yu Lin said as Toph and Aang followed her inside. The house had low ceilings, and the Avatar had to slouch to avoid hitting his head. The older woman from the day before, Mrs. Ling, was sitting at a table and giggled when Aang bonked his head on a beam. He rubbed the sore spot on his head.

Toph casually strode over and sat down next to her, chattering in idle gossip until Yu Lin returned with a sheaf of paper and a quill in hand. She waved them around and spoke in a sing-song voice as she sat down at the table with the other women. "Here they are!"

Curious as to what the three were talking about, Aang inched closer and closer, trying to sneak in without them catching him. He had been taught to respect the privacy of others, but sometimes the temptation was just too much. He had forgotten, however, that Toph could sense his steps and it startled him when she spoke to him. "Twinkletoes, if you want to hear what we're talking about then come sit down. You trying to be sneaky is like an Elephant Koi trying to be a Wood Frog."

He had jumped when she spoke and he thunked his hard against the ceiling. He sat down after that, though he muttered in complaint and rubbed the top of his head. The three women then went back to ignoring him and focused on the matter at had. Yu Lin rolled up her sleeve and dipped the quill in some ink on the table. She divided the paper in two and wrote both her name at the top of one column and Toph's name at the top of the other. When she was done she looked at Toph. "So, the rascal from yesterday was, what, the fourth suitor this month, dear?"

"No, no." chided Mrs. Ling, wagging a finger. "He was the sixth suitor this month."

"You're both wrong." Toph added. "He was the fifth, Miyu's been keeping track this month."

"Okay, five suitors." the woman said, making a note at the bottom of the page. "Now, you wagered you'd have them running home before midday, right dear?"

Toph nodded and propped and elbow on the table before resting her chin in her hand. "And you said that they were getting tougher and I'd probably be going rounds with them at least until mid-afternoon."

"So, how many did you send packing by noontime?" Yu Lin asked, poised and ready to write the number in Toph's column.

"Hm, the first three weren't benders, but there was the one who brought his bodyguard with him, and I dueled with the bodyguard. The last two were benders, but the first one fought like a beginner." Toph said in thought, counting out on her right hand and rubbing her chin with her left. "So, there's the two non-benders, and the weak earthbender, and I'm pretty sure I knocked the daylights out of the bodyguard because I remember him mumbling about not being paid enough to lose to a girl. So that's four, but that guy yesterday, Huang Ze, he gave me a run for my money. I think I lost that one there. I dunno, depends on whatever time Twinkletoes showed up and got in the way."

The three women then turned to look at him, and Aang gulped and smiled at them. "Me? Uh, it was well past midday when I got here yesterday, so…"

He trailed off, but they had already gone back to their calculations. Yu Lin was already pulling her coin purse out as she spoke. "So, how much was the wager amount. I can't remember."

"Beats me Miss Yu Lin. Miyu usually keeps track of that for me, but she's back home right now since I found a better pack mule." Toph shrugged before giving Aang a sound slug to the arm.

"Geez Toph, I think you left a bruise." he complained, rubbing his arm.

"The wager was made at the amount of two gold pieces and three silver pieces per suitor. An extra gold piece if they were an earthbender or if they brought help with them." Mrs. Ling stated matter-of-factly. Smiling, she continued. "Yu Lin, you also threw in that if she won the wager, but one of the benders managed to knock her down more than once, she lost a silver piece, but earned one for only being knocked down one time or less. If she lost the wager, but stayed on her feet, you earn a silver piece, but if she got knocked down, you lose a silver piece."

The old woman cleared her throat a minute and kept on going. "Now, Toph added that if she won the wager and knocked the suitor through more than one wall, she got an extra silver piece. If Yu Lin won the wager, and the suitor went through more than one wall, she got an extra silver piece. However, there was no penalty if Toph didn't knock him through more than one wall."

"You people are crazy." Aang muttered, crossing his arms and wishing that he hadn't stopped at this particular town.

"Respect your elders." Toph demanded him, smacking him upside the head. "Now apologize to Miss Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling."

"Will you quit hitting me!" His voice got away from and shut all three of the women up for a moment.

"My, someone is touchy." Mrs. Ling pointed out.

"Was he always this way?" Yu Li queried, leaning in towards the younger woman.

"I suppose." Toph replied in an indifferent tone. It was apparent to him that the three were now just outright ignoring him. He harrumphed and slouched as they continued.

"Okay, so here's how it turned out. You got rid of suitors one through four before midday. Of those four, one was an earthbender and another brought help. The earthbender never knocked her down, and the bodyguard knocked her down twice, but she also sent him through a wall four times. Now, you didn't get that last suitor gone till mid-afternoon, so you lose there. And he knocked you down a couple of times. But he only went through one wall, not two since he barreled through the Academy wall on his own." Yu Li said, scratching down things in each column. Aang rubbed his temples. He had tried to keep up with all of the math involved, but they had some unusual conditions for the wager and it sent his mind spinning. He just knew that Toph had won more than Yu Lin. The ladies seemed to figure it out quickly enough and various sums changed hands between the two.

"Now, what'll be the stipulations for next month?" Yu Lin asked with a smile, flipping the tally sheet over and readying her quill. "I'm going to write it down this month and keep track of things so this is a bit easier next time."

"No wagers this month Miss Yu Lin. I'm not going to be home." the young woman said, already getting to her feet. The two older ladies looked at her in surprise.

"Toph dear, where are you going then?" Mrs. Ling inquired in a soft voice, gently taking the girl's hand. "Nothing bad has come up I hope?"

"Nothing like that Mrs. Ling." Toph smiled tenderly at the woman, squeezing her hand and then releasing it. "I just had made some plans to spend time with an old friend."

She then grabbed Aang around the neck, despite the fact that she was at least a head shorter than him, and gave him a hard noogie. He whined in protest before she released him. "Stop doing that."

"Though, if you feel like making wagers, try talking to Miyu." Toph told the women as she pushed Aang towards the door. "I'm leaving her in charge of the Academy and my estate while I'm gone, so any suitors the folks send will be dealing with her instead of me. And I'm sure that if they're of the same caliber as that Huang Ze, they won't just leave. Hopefully though, the sweet-talkers won't try to steal away my best student. Keep an eye on her for me, will you ladies?"

"Of course, dear." Yu Lin said, getting up and hugging Toph softly. "I'll treat her as I treat you, like the daughter I never had."

"Goodbye." the younger girl spoke in a chipper tone, waving as she made her way out of the home.

"Good times." Aang said nonchalantly. "Can we go now?"

"I suppose so, since you're so damn insistent." Toph answered, curling a fist as though she were going to hit him again. He drew back from her suddenly. And she laughed loudly before socking him twice. "Two for flinching."

Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling came to the doorway and watched as the two walked away together. Yu Lin sighed and Mrs. Ling raised a palm and smiled to her friend. "He left with bruises, you owe me three silver pieces."

The woman fished the coins from her pocket and plunked them into the older woman's hand. Then she smiled and looked down at her friend. "You might have won, for now, but I haven't seen her this happy since she lost Yasuo. Maybe something good will come from this, after all, I'd hate to see her end up an old maid like me."

"Shush Yu Lin." Mrs. Ling said. "You're not an old maid until you die alone. Besides, I think we need to worry more about her being hurt again. Didn't the Avatar have a sweetheart from the Southern Water Tribe?"

"I had heard that, but I just have this gut feeling that tells me this is her path." Yu Lin replied.

* * *

She and Aang had left shortly after returning back to her home. Miyu held a brave face, but Toph knew that the girl would be lonely. That's why she had suggested that her friends from the market look out for her. Aang climbed around Appa's neck and grabbed the reigns, and tried to offer Toph a hand up, but she shirked it off and managed to get up into the saddle on her own.

"Yip yip." Aang commanded, and the bison came up off the ground and flew off. He watched his friend's young companion waving from the yard as they disappeared into the sky. He turned back to her when he heard a noise and saw her clutching the edge of the saddle tightly and saw her hanging her head off to the side. "You okay?"

"I forgot what it was like to be on the back of a flying bison." she said weakly. "By the way, does half-digested rice porridge come out of fur?"

Aang laughed loudly and reassured her. They continued traveling south until sunset, where they made camp near the outskirts of a swampy area. Toph, being herself, erected a tent of stone and shut herself up inside after mumbling about recovering from the flight and didn't reemerge until late that night when his late night musing had woken her up.

Now the two of them sat next to each other, in front of a blazing fire. And to her, it was just like old times. Just much quieter old times. There was no Sokka telling tall tales or spouting bad jokes. Katara wasn't there to tell them that it was time to eat, or to take a bath, or even go to bed. Toph realized that being an adult and managing for herself was freeing, and what she had longed of having for years. Now she wished that she hadn't taken those times for granted.

She heard the sound of quiet snores, and smiled to herself. "G'night Twinkletoes."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: And that folks, is how Toph ends up traveling with Aang. This chapter was so much fun to write because I love Toph. I enjoyed portraying her as an older, but still rough around the edges version of herself. Some things I want to make note of, because they might be asked:**

**Yu Lin, Mrs. Ling, and Miyu are only minor characters that are meant to move the story along and give depth to the main characters.**

**Huang Ze is also one of these people, but he may make a more lengthy appearance later on.**

**The truth about Yasuo, the young man Toph was involved with before the start of the story will be made known in later chapters that will explain that final conversation between Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling.**

**Please leave a review if you would like. I enjoy recieving constructive critisism, but FLAMING and disrespectiong other reviewers will not be tolerated. **

**ALSO: Cookies and a special dedication in the next chapter to anyone who can figure out just how much money Yu Lin payed Toph, as well as how much Toph paid Yu Lin. And, the first person to get it right gets to have a cameo in later chapters! So please make sure to be logged in when you answer, because I will be using the email function on you page.**


	3. In The South

**Chapter Three: In the South **

Aang had been sleeping peacefully, cuddled up against Appa, when the smell of food cooking wafted by. He sat up lazily and stretched his arms high above his head as he yawned. Then he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the heel of his hands. In a half awake daze; he thought he saw Katara crouching down by the fire. He blinked a few times and his eyes focused, and he realized that it wasn't Katara, but Toph stirring the contents of a small pot with a wooden spoon.

"About time you woke up." Toph said, banging the spoon against the pot and resting it on a flat rock at her side.

"You're _cooking_?" Aang said in an astonished voice. "I didn't realize that you could cook."

"Well, you learn something new everyday, don't you?" she told him. "Besides, I don't see Miyu staying with me forever, and it was obvious I needed other useful skills than just earthbending in order to survive. She was the one who taught me."

"So, what exactly are you making anyway." he asked, leaning over and examining the contents of the pot. It looked like porridge and had a sweet smell to it. It seemed tasty, which surprised him. He glanced up and noticed that she had stood and stretched, and was now fishing through their supplies, sniffing different containers in order to determine their content. Carefully, he twisted some of the food up out of the pot with waterbending while using airbending to cool it down. He was just about to put it in his mouth when something hard smacked him on the back of the head. He lost his concentration and the food plopped down onto his pant leg. He looked up to see Toph towering over him with the wooden spoon in hand. "What was that for?"

"Wait until it's done before you start stuffing your face." she scolded and then sighed. "It's sweet congee by the way. Same stuff Sugar Queen used to make, except there's cinnamon and honey in it. Now why don't you make yourself useful and go find some water for the tea. We don't have anymore fresh water and the only water that's close is the mucky stuff from the swamp."

"You're more bossy than I remember you being." Aang complained as he got up and rubbed the lump at the back of his head. "And meaner too."

"When you have to teach earthbending to twenty-some stuck up noble girls with a better-than-thou complex, bossy is about the only thing that gets through to them." Toph responded, waving the spoon around as she spoke. "Or it makes them cry. The point is, eventually they listen."

Aang just shook his head and wandered into the swamp a bit, finding the closest pond of water and used his bending to pull it out without the muck. When he got back, Toph was spooning the congee into a couple of bowls and sprinkling some nuts on top. He bent the water into a waiting teapot and she handed him his bowl. Breakfast was eaten in silence until the teapot whistled. He made the tea and they finished off the pot before packing up.

Then they were off again and while Toph still got a little queasy from the ride, but she managed not to get sick that time. Which Aang appreciated, since giving Appa a bath was never the easiest task. The young woman sighed and rubbed her temples for a bit. "I wonder how Miyu is doing. And Miss Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling."

"If they're friends with you, then I'm sure they're managing just fine." Aang assured her and then chuckled to himself. "Though I bet they'd get a kick out of you being air sick."

Toph gave a half-hearted laugh and laid down on her back, propping her hands under her head. "Leave the humor to the professionals. Anywho, I'm going to take a nap, wake me when we get there. How much farther is it anyway?"

"Not far." he answered, gazing off into the distance. "A couple hours maybe."

She was already asleep before he finished, he could tell, from the snores he heard behind him. He just shook his head and closed his eyes. In his mind he imagined the temple rising up through the clouds in front of him, the blue spires shining in the sunlight, flanked on all sides by the majestic Patola mountain range. And then he opened them and all there was there was a cloudy, open sky for miles ahead of him. He missed his home. He missed it dearly. He hadn't been back there since he had first been freed from the iceberg, when it was just Katara, Sokka, and himself.

_I wonder if it's still covered in snow._ He pondered thoughtfully to himself. _Has it changed?_ He wondered if maybe someone else had found it. Granted, it was almost impossible to get to without a flying bison, but since the war the air balloons invented by the Mechanist had become a popular new form of transportation across the world. Maybe it had been discovered and converted, just like the Northern Air Temple. He hoped not. That was his home, his last place of refuge and the last memory of his life before he learned he was the Avatar and life as he knew it changed forever.

* * *

It was almost dusk when Appa reached the familiar peaks of the Patola mountain range. The bison grunted in excitement and weaved around the mountains without needing Aang's direction. This was his home too and the path to it was second nature even after all of the years that had gone by. Aang patted the animal's head and spoke to him. "This is it boy, we're finally back home."

And when he looked back up, it was even more beautiful than he had imagined. The blue spires of the temple seemed to glow in the light of the setting sun, which painted the walls in brilliant hues. It took his breath away and he could feel his heart beating faster and faster as they approached. It was still covered with snow, but the light hit it just right and made it seem as if the ground were made of precious gems of all colors. Appa grunted again and landed in an open area right above where the bison once stayed.

"Good boy Appa." Aang said as he jumped down off of his companion. Appa snorted in response and licked Aang happily. The young man laughed and rubbed the bison's nose. "You stay here and I'll be right back."

With that, he disappeared down a path that lead up into one of the taller parts of the temple, completely forgetting his sleeping companion curled up on Appa's saddle.

* * *

Toph had rolled over in her sleep and nearly crushed Momo in the process. The lemur had been curled up against her, sound asleep as well, but started a fit of chittering after being laid on. The young woman grumbled for him to be quiet, but he only got more noisy and refused to let her sleep any further. It was then that she noticed how cold it had gotten and that they were no longer flying. She grumbled again, and spoke loudly. "Thanks for waking me Aang."

She waited a moment, but he gave no response. She sighed and climbed down from Appa's saddle and jumped back a bit when her bare feet touched something cold. Cautiously, she put her feet down again and felt the vibrations of the earth beneath the cold. She could tell right away that they were at the air temple. Then she bent down and scooped up some of the chilly stuff she had stepped in. When it quickly began to melt she was able to identify it. "So this is the snow stuff Katara would talk about?"

Toph dropped it and wiped her hands off on her pants and was instantly glad that she had opted for a long-sleeved shirt. Momo chattered from up in Appa's saddle before bounding down onto her shoulder. Toph scratched his ears and talked to him. "So, where did Twinkletoes run off to? Can you show me?"

Momo shrugged his shoulders and hopped back onto Appa. The young woman crossed her arms and began walking away from the animals. "Lotta help you are! I'll just go find him myself then."

* * *

Aang had wandered for a bit through the temple, revisiting the places he hadn't had the chance to when Katara, Sokka, and he had been here. He had gone to his room, Monk Gyatso's room, and the room where the elder monks held their meetings. It was all empty now, just like it had been before. And it was barren and dark, and reminded Aang so much of his own life at the moment. He sighed and thought of Katara. _How is she? Did I hurt her when I left? Why did I even leave in the first place?_ He rubbed his temples and chastised himself. He had left out of anger and petty jealousy, and had probably driven the love of his life even further away from him.

And then he found himself standing in front of the door to the sanctuary, with its winding pipes that kept it locked. Even at his darkest moments back in Ba Sing Se, there was always the one place where he could find solace: amongst his past lives. With a swift motion he was bending the air around him and into the pipes. It twisted through and flipped each spiral symbol with a resounding note before groaning open. He stepped inside and bowed to the past Avatar's in reverence. Then in a fluid motion he was sitting on the floor with his head low and his eyes closed, trying to connect with them. "Please give me your guidance. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I wasn't prepared for this role when it was first thrust upon me, and I'm still not sure that I will be able to guide the world for the rest of my life. I keep running away from my problems and it only causes more turmoil. Please, tell me what I should do."

The statues never judged and often talking about his worries out loud to them helped him see those worries for what they really were, and helped him see how he could solve them. He hadn't truly spoken to his former lives since he found himself on the back of the giant lion turtle right before the arrival of Sozin's Comet. Now he sat bearing all of his burdens to the statues made in their likeness.

* * *

Toph was grumbling as she wandered through the halls of the Southern Air Temple in search of Aang. So far, she didn't have a very high opinion of the place. It was drafty and the floors felt like ice beneath her feet. She stopped and leaned against a wall before pulling a foot off of the floor and rubbing it so it warmed. Then she did the other one. As she did, she found herself having a conversation with herself. "Stupid snow. Stupid Air Temple. I liked the western one better. Was warm there."

She sighed and started walking again, and hoped that she would find Aang soon. Otherwise she was going to start knocking in some walls or, at the very least, make her way back to Appa and eat dinner without him. As she rounded a corner, she heard his voice nearby. Following it led her down a long corridor and to a large open doorway. Aang was sitting there on the floor, talking to hundreds of statues. He hadn't even noticed her walking up. So, to get his attention, she coughed loudly.

He jumped to his feet and sent a whip of air whirling back behind him in surprise. She barely avoided being blasted backwards down the hallway. However, in order to do that she had to do a duck and roll right into a heap of snow, leaving her covered from head to toe. When he realized that it was Toph and not some intruder, he rushed over, apologizing furiously, to which she responded by knocking him off of his feet and storming off. He followed after her, repeating over and over again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry! I didn't know it was you!"

After a few minutes of that she stopped, turned on her heels and put her face in his face, which was no easy task considering that she was at least a head shorter than him. "Who else would it have been? Appa? It's a freaking temple on top of a mountain surrounded by practically identical mountains. Who else but you, Sugar Queen, and Snoozles even know that this is here?"

"The Fire Nation! They've found it before." he said in a blustered voice, his face turning red.

Toph scoffed and gave him a shove back. "Yes, because Zuko is going to send someone to _attack_ you."

"Well, maybe not them, but a lot of people have airships now. It's possible." Aang replied, his defense slowly crumbling.

"Yea, that makes sense since this place is just so easy to find." She said sarcastically. "And of course these people would know that you were here even though nobody, not even the uptights in Ba Sing Se have a clue where you're at. Plus, only a complete _idiot_ would think of messing with you, _The Avatar_, after you pulled that trick and took Ozai's bending away. I mean seriously…"

"Stop it!" Aang shouted, stepping in front of her and glaring at her. "What is wrong with you? You act like you're so damn high and mighty. I think you just need to be knocked off your pedestal and see that you're no better than me!"

"Hello!" Toph shouted back, reaching up and knocking on his head. "At least I use my mind. You were given a brain for more reasons than to just fill the space between your ears you know."

"Says the person who makes bets over how badly she's going to beat a guy." he said as he pushed her hands away.

"If I'm going to be miserable, I might as well make a profit from it." She growled and shoved her way past him.

"Hey, Toph, wait." he said, catching up to her and trying to stop her again. She kept weaving away from him, trying to get away. Every time he'd get in front of her she'd step to the other side. Frustrated, he reached out and grabbed her by the wrists. "Wait a minute. What did you mean by miserable?"

"Let me go, Aang." she hissed and pulled away from him.

He gripped her a little tighter and spoke firmly. "Not until you tell me what you meant when you said you were miserable."

"LET. ME. GO." Toph said, and the mere tone of the way she spoke made him loosen his grip. She pulled free from him and gave him a hard shove into the wall. He stood there and watched as she disappeared around a corner.

_What the heck was that about?_ He thought to himself for a moment after she was gone. _Was her life back home really that bad after everything happened? What did happen all those years anyway?_ Now he felt really guilty about the whole thing, even worse than he had when the argument had started. Sure, he had heard Toph get mad before. She had a half-angry, half-joking tone, like how most of the argument was. It wasn't until he grabbed a hold of her like he had that she took on a venomous undertone, like she actually thought that he was going to hurt her. _Something bad has happened to her, and I'm going to find out what._

_

* * *

_

"Goddamnedidiotjerkasshole…bastard…jerk." Toph complained to herself, her anger waning the further she got away from him. Eventually she sighed and leaned against a wall. "I don't know why I even bothered to come on this stupid little adventure of his."

After a moment she started walking again, retracing her steps back to where Appa and Momo were. She shivered a bit. She was cold and slightly damp from falling in the snow. She tapped her foot against the ground and made sure that she and the animals were the only ones around before she changed out of her wet things and into some that were quite a bit warmer. She smiled to herself and made herself a cozy spot next to the bison.

"It looks like there's going to be a bad storm tonight. It's real dark and cloudy to the west. There are rooms inside that will keep you from becoming a Toph-sicle." Aang joked when showed up a little while later. He smiled broadly and waited for her to say something, but she simply got up and walked into the bowels of the temple with her blankets draped over her shoulders. She found the spot inside where he had cleared away the snow and debris, and had made a fire to stay warm. He showed up there, after having settle Appa into a safe spot for the night. Momo chittered on his shoulder, but leapt away when he saw the young woman. She simply scratched his ears and stared off into the distance, not even acknowledging his arrival.

"The silent treatment eh? C'mon, forgive me? You know you'll have to sooner or later. Trust me; Momo isn't very good at keeping a conversation." He told her, flopping to the floor next to her. She continued ignoring him and warmed her hands by the fire before burying all but her head beneath her blankets. "Look, I'm sorry for whatever I did or said to make you mad. When we leave here, I'll find some guys for you to beat up."

When she refused to acknowledge him once again he sighed and gave up. She just sat there like a rock. He went about getting out things for supper. Granted, he couldn't really cook, but it seemed she was too disinterested to bother, and he was hungry. He poured some rice into a pot and then bent some of the snow from one of the corridors nearby and carefully got it into the pot before setting it onto the fire. Then he went and rummaged through their food for things to add to it. Everything seemed to be going just fine, until the rice boiled over, which made him cut himself while dicing some vegetables, and when he went to pull the rice pot from the fire he burned his fingers on the pot. The pot dropped back down and the boiling water sloshed out and extinguished the fire.

If that wasn't bad enough, Momo had found a wayward piece of fruit that had rolled away from the supplies when Aang went digging through them. And with all the commotion being made, he assumed Aang was playing around, and the lemur tossed the fruit, nailing him in the back of the head with it. Toph, who had been sitting idly by as the whole fiasco unfurled burst out in laughter as the piece of fruit squished, covering his neck with juice, before it slid down his neck and into his robes. This made him start hopping around in an attempt to un-wedge it from where it was stuck where the cloth of his robe was bound up by his belt. And as hard as he tried, his arms could not reach down far enough for him to get it. She laughed so hard it put her to tears, that she lost her balance and fell over, and only laughed harder. Poor Aang who had been victim to it all suddenly stopped and stared at her with wide owl eyes.

"You make it way too hard to ignore you." she said, still chuckling as she unfurled herself from her blanket cocoon and helped him fish the wayward fruit out of his clothes, tossing it near Momo, who gladly took it back and nibbled on the sweet flesh. "Just go restart the fire. I can't believe you can't even boil some rice. What were they teaching you in Ba Sing Se?"

"Politics." he answered sarcastically as he sucked on the finger he had cut. It wasn't deep, but it still hurt. Then he pulled the water from the wet wood and cast it aside before directing a flame on the now dry wood.

"Feh, I hate politics." she said, plopping some snow she had scooped up into the pot to replace the water that had splashed out when Aang had dropped it. "What you did wrong was you had a full flame fire going. When you cook, you want to cook it over low flames. Otherwise you get the disaster you just experienced."

"You could have said something before I started." He said, scooting closer so he could coax the flames to dwindle and so he could watch what she was doing.

"Well, I assumed that you actually knew something about cooking. Especially after all that time you spent with Katara." Toph said as she set the pot onto the fire for a second time that night. Aang smiled a bit. The anger and venomous bite from earlier was gone, and this was the girl he remembered. She let the pot slowly stew for a bit and reburied herself in her blankets, blowing on her hands and rubbing them together. "I hate the south. It's too cold. I'd rather boil in the Fire Nation than freeze to death down here."

"It's not so bad once you get used to it. Besides, the Southern Air Temple wasn't always like this." Aang told her, fiddling with his wooden necklace. "When the monks and I lived here we used airbending to keep it warm. It was really nice. There were ornate tapestries on the walls, people everywhere. The sky filled with bison and people on gliders. I wish you could have seen it like I have."

"Yea, you remember I'm blind right?" she said, reaching over and punching him gently in the arm. "I can only see what's happening on the solid ground."

"Oh yea, sorry." He chuckled. It was quiet for a while after that. Toph had gone around fixing his messes from dinner and turned it into something that actually looked edible. He watched her as she worked. She was still the same tough girl he had always known, but she had grown up. He would never have imagined her ever cooking or doing anything much but bending the earth and sharing smart mouthed remarks. Her face was aglow in the light of the fire. She furrowed her brows a bit as she worked and somehow she seemed very Katara-like in that moment. Had she noticed such changes in him?

When it was done, they ate while sharing jokes and favorite stories from recent years. They could hear the wind whipping just on the other side of the walls and Toph told him how she could feel it moving the temple just slightly. Afterwards, he cleaned up their dinner mess, something he could do, and returned to the fireside. She was sitting close, her elbows propped on her knees and her head in her hands while her dirty feet peeked out from beneath a blanket. In the silence, he remembered what he wanted to ask her.

"Hey Toph." he began, turning to face her.

"Hm?" she asked with a yawn and then stretched.

"What did you mean earlier when you said that you might as well make money for being miserable? Did something happen to you? Something bad?" Aang spoke in a soft tone. She blinked a few times and her mouth formed a silent oh.

"It was never anything bad." she began, lying down on her stomach. "When I came back home, I expected to get different treatment from my parents. Which I got, but not the way that I wanted. Instead of trying to lock me away, they paraded me around like I was some sort of prize. I was something that was a part of a story they could tell to people to impress them. I mean, I know that they didn't think I _was_ just some trophy, that they loved me, but I never got to be me. I never got to share my voice. I was just their china doll daughter who had to have constant supervision. I never got to do things on my own either. Someone was always there. Then when I moved away, they sent Miyu with me to "take care of me." And for a while she did, but then she saw I was more than capable to do the things she did for me. Then the suitors started showing up. I was fourteen years old, and they were trying to marry me off. A lot of them were men twice my age with less than honorable intentions. They all told me I was so pretty and innocent. I always managed to chase them away, but sometimes I wonder what would have happened to me if I wasn't as strong as I am. I don't think my parents wanted men like that to marry me, but I think they were a little too distracted in finding someone to take care of me for the rest of my life to notice that part about them. I just wanted to run away from it all. I mean, can you imagine having someone trying to plan every aspect of your life for you? Who wants to live a life like that? All I wanted was to grow up normal."

"Is that why you acted the way I did, when I grabbed you earlier?" He was yawning now and slowly slumping towards the floor. It had been a long day.

"I suppose." she answered in a sleepy voice.

"I understand, a little bit, about how you feel though." Aang began. "Every day since Ozai's defeat, I've been ushered around like a puppet. I never asked to be the Avatar, but I am. And now I have be a figurehead for all the nations. I'm supposed to solve all their troubles. That's not what I want. I didn't get what I wanted. That's why I went away. I needed to do what I wanted and be who I wanted, even if it was for just a while."

"I guess that's the same reason that I decided to invite myself along on your little adventure. Sometimes everyday life gets to be too much and you just have to go away. And you know, it's not like Katara said she would never marry you. She just didn't want to now. You still have a chance. I don't see why that was the clincher for you to leave." Toph was now propped a bit, trying not to fall asleep on him.

"She changed. More than I had thought. I guess it wasn't really that she turned me down, but her reasons for turning me down. The Katara I fell in love with had always put me first, put those she loved first. But this time, she chose to be one of those politically ruthless people I've come to dislike so much." He rubbed his temples with both hands and continued. "I guess that I just hoped that it would be like when we were kids. That we could be carefree and not worry."

"Things have to change. It's a part of life. If all you worry about is what has already been and gone, then how do you ever expect to prepare for the future? And while you're doing that, you miss out on everything that's happening right here and right now. And then that will pass too and you'll end up regretting it." she explained, rolling over onto her back.

"Ah, you mean: 'Don't live in yesterday but do what you have to do for tomorrow.' Right? That's what you told me before." Aang said, trying his best Iroh impression.

"It goes: 'Stop living for what you've already done and live for what you've yet to do.' Yu Lin told me that years ago when I was missing you guys." Toph corrected him. "I have to give her credit. She's a pretty smart lady."

"Didn't you ever get letters from anyone?" he asked her, adjusting a pillow under his chin.

"Only from Katara. I used to get letters twice a week from her the first year. Then it was once a week, then every other week, to once a month, to every three or four months, that lasted about a year. Then they just stopped. The next time I heard from here was when she was sending the invitations for Sokka's wedding." She sighed and curled up into a ball. "As for the others, I just assumed that you were all too busy with things. After all, you became the leader of the free world, Sparky is the Fire Lord, and Snoozles and Suki were rebuilding her village. Plus, why send letters to a blind girl anyway?"

"I'm sorry Toph. I should have written you or visited. I'm a bad friend." he apologized.

She chuckled quietly. "Don't worry about it. You're stuck with me now and you'll want me gone sooner or later."

Aang yawned again and his eyes were slowly fluttering closed. They popped open one last time to see Toph already asleep before he disappeared into his own dreams.

* * *

Aang woke to complete silence the next morning, aside from a few quiet snores. As he looked around he noticed that the fire had burnt itself out in the night and that Toph was still sound asleep, bundled up in her blankets on the floor. He quietly stood up and stretched out, feeling his back crack in a few places. He wandered out to see how Appa had faired during the storm, and what he saw when he stepped outside was amazing. The entire temple was covered with freshly fallen blanket of snow and it looked like the entire place had been made of ice and snow. He could see his breath as he stepped out in it, the snow crunching beneath his shoes. "Wow."

When he reached Appa, he looked back and could see his trail of footprints behind him. The bison grunted and gave him a wet kiss. Aang patted him and led him out of the shelter. As he looked up, he could see that the sky was a brilliant blue. Appa nuzzled him, as if knowing exactly what the young man was thinking. Aang turned to him and saddled him up before climbing on him. "Yip Yip. Let's hit the skies."

With a giant leap they were airborne and Aang felt exhilarated. It was a perfect day for flying. When he had gotten to the temple, it was dusk and the sky was full of ominous clouds, but now that the storm had past, there wasn't a single cloud in sight. He was enjoying his little romp through the skies, weaving through the mountains and out over the sea. He was sure Toph would be mad that he had gone and left her alone in the temple, but the familiar skies were welcoming and he felt more peaceful now than he had in a long time.

He had Appa fly low so he could skim the water with his fingertips and relish the deep blue water that was the same shade as Katara's eyes. He smiled a bit and the two gained altitude again. He decided that it was best for him to head back to the temple for some breakfast, and then maybe go out again. He might even go gliding for a bit. However as Appa made a round turn back towards the mountains, he heard shouting on the horizon. He squinted to see a ship far off in the distance being pursued by another ship larger than it. Aang quickly instructed Appa back towards the commotion in time to see the ship careen to the left, trying to get away from its pursuer.

"That looks like a Water Tribe ship. It's…it's being attacked by a Fire Nation vessel!" Aang said to himself, closing in on the endangered ship. Men on the ship made excited noise as they saw him pass them quickly. He could hear angry shouting from the Fire Nation ship as he leapt off the back of Appa and onto their deck.

"Fellas! We got trouble!" shouted a grimy man dressed in the ragged clothes of a Fire Nation soldier. Soon Aang was surrounded by a mass of men who either drew their weapons or took an attacking stance around him. He stared at them. They didn't look like men from Zuko's navy. They were dirty, malnourished, and scraggly. Some of them who approached recognized who he was and backed away considerably, with fear in their eyes. Their hesitance to attack game him the chance to inspect them further. On the right upper arm of each man was a tied up black band of cloth. And they didn't fly a Fire Nation flag either. It was a completely black banner with a slithering snake emblazoned on it.

"Who are you and why are you violating the terms of the piece treaty among the three nations?" He said in a commanding voice, using his airbending to lift him up so he towered over the heads of the men.

"Blimey! It's the freaking Avatar!" cried an older man who scrambled for the back of the ship. "Run for your lives! Save yourselves!"

"We don't fear you!" A voice rang out from the crowd. A man in dark armor stepped out from the men and stood face to face with Aang. He raised a hand to hold the men back, who were beginning to get antsy. "We don't follow a nation anymore. _We_ are our _own_ nation now. And you are in our way. Men, obliterate him."

The man dropped his hand and Aang was swarmed by the men. Twirling his glider around he was able to repel several of the men who carried swords and daggers, but those who could bend did not back down. The young man had to leap up over the crowd to avoid blasts of fire from all sides. The leader of the pack then got up behind him and knocked him off of his feet. Aang quickly recovered, but not before being cornered by the group of firebenders.

"Who are you?" Aang demanded to know. The leader laughed and stepped forward. "Why are you attacking the innocent and destroying the peace between the people?"

"I am, rather, was, an Admiral in the Fire Nation navy, before _you_ and your group of friends ruined the takeover of the Earth Kingdom." The man said, pacing in front of him. Aang watched him, but kept looking for an opening to break free. He was sure he could deflect most of their attacks, but he didn't want to risk injuring himself. The admiral stopped pacing and stood in front of him. "I am Tso Len, and this is my crew. We take what we want when we want it, and not even you are going to stop us."

"We're coming Aang!" a voice shouted from behind him. He whipped his head around to see the Water Tribe craft sailing up beside him. Tso Len was distracted long enough for Aang to shove him back into the crowd of men and bound away towards the bow of the ship. He didn't want to hurt or kill anyone. It was now apparent that these men were pirates, and piracy was a crime. He wanted them to receive a fitting punishment and a sentencing by a judge.

Tso Len growled as waterbenders from the ship froze men to the deck or knocked them overboard. He turned to his crew of benders and barked orders. "BURN THEIR SHIP AND SEND IT TO THE BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!"

Hearing the man's command, the captain of the Water Tribe ship shouted orders to pull away, but it was too late. Fire lashed at the hull of the ship, burning its way through. Aang could see that without help, they were going to sink to the bottom of the sea. He leapt overboard and onto the Water Tribe vessel. He turned back to see the pirates already on the run, deciding to go after an easier target. Aang was pissed that they were getting away, but it was better he save these men from drowning at sea than try and stop some pirates.

Running for the gaping hole, he and the few waterbenders aboard pulled the sea water up and over the flames. The fire was quickly extinguished, but the craft was still taking on water and a dangerous rate. Up behind him he felt someone clap a hand on his back. Looking back he saw Sokka gazing over the side of the ship at the damage. "I'd say I was glad to see you and whatnot, but I think we got bigger problems at the moment."

"Sokka!" Aang exclaimed. "Any ideas?"

"Kaien! Wu! Chen! Below decks and try to push the water back!" Sokka instructed the waterbenders who had helped put out the fire. Then he turned back to Aang as he rushed for the sail and quickly adjusted them, making the ship veer and turn for a speck of land that was off in the distance. "Let's hope they can keep the water at bay long enough to make an emergency stop to do repairs. Anything you can do Aang?"

"I could help them push back the water, but I don't think the four of us will be enough. Wait, where's Appa?" Aang whipped around and looked up in the skies. The bison was nowhere to be seen. He pulled the bison call from inside his shirt and blew on it. A moment later, he came circling down from the sky and up beside the ship. "We can stow your heavy supplies and whatever crew isn't needed onto Appa and he can take them to where you're going. That should lighten the load of the ship and keep it from sinking as fast. I think that will buy us enough time."

"Okay, do it." Sokka told him with a nod. Aang ran as fast as he could through the ship, telling everyone he saw to move the supplies to Appa and to fly off with him if they weren't able to help. Quickly, the crew assembled on the deck and the weighty cargo was piled onto the bison's saddle. The extra men aboard also boarded Appa and the bison flew off ahead of the ship. Aang was already down in the cargo hold with the other waterbenders, pushing back the water that was gushing in. They were already waist deep in the icy water, and even with their best efforts, it kept on coming.

"This isn't helping." Aang said to himself as he ran back to the deck.

"Aang, what's wrong?" asked Sokka, trying to extend the sails as far to catch the wind. "Damn, it's too calm today."

"The water is rushing in too fast. We need to move faster!" the young man told his friend.

"Use your airbending to fill the sails!" Sokka told him, pointing at the billowing white fabric above them. Without another word Aang whipped the air around him and used it to propel the ship. It picked up speed faster and faster, and soon the coast was just within reach. The men around him cheered as the ship hit the beach, and the three benders pulled the last of the water from inside.

"Did everyone make it through okay?" Aang wondered, looking at the faces of the men who clapped him and Sokka proudly on the back. Meanwhile, those who had fled on Appa were already clearing the supplies and crates of things off of his saddle.

"Everything's good. We might lose a week of sail time in order to repair the ship, but we all lived and our cargo made it through. We owe you a great debt Aang." Sokka told him, shaking his hand, and then pulling him into a strong hug. "You're staying for dinner. Besides, then you can tell me why you're this far south and not back in Ba Sing Se being head honcho and why you're not there wooing my baby sister."

"It's a long story." Aang told him as he caught his breath and slumped down into the sand on the beach. "I came this way to visit the Southern Air Temple and Toph…OH SHIT, Toph!"

"Toph?" Sokka asked, cocking his head to the side and furrowing his brows.

"Yea, Toph. She's going to be really pissed. I got to go back, realquicktheniwillbeback." Aang said in a flurry, pulling the remaining crates of supplies off of Appa's saddle before taking off.

Sokka stood there watching him then scratched his head. "He's really hard to understand sometimes.

* * *

Toph had scoured the temple, weaving her way through the whole thing while she tried to find where that knucklehead had gone too. She had woken up, completely alone, aside from the lemur that had fallen asleep on her head at some point. She had realized immediately that he wasn't in the room, and soon thereafter found he was nowhere inside the Southern Air Temple either. Pissed off, she found her way outside and right into an embankment of snow. What really set her off was the fact that not only had Twinkletoes disappeared, but so had his bison. She had started cussing him out and knocked down one of the outer walls.

Now she was sitting around by a warm fire, hoping that her toes weren't frostbitten, and was thinking up ways in which to hurt him if she ever met up with him again. As far as she knew, he had abandoned her on a mountaintop. Certainly, she could make her way down, but since they had flown in, she wasn't sure quite where she would end up. Grumbling she rubbed her feet and covered them with a blanket. Her temper had cooled a bit too and she realized that he had probably gone on some sort of joyride, and had not really abandoned her. If he had, he wouldn't have left Momo here too. Still, he could have let her know. It was already past noon, from what she could tell, and knowing him he'd been up since the crack of dawn.

Outside she heard the bison groan and sensed a rush of footsteps approaching. Aang dashed in, partially out of breath and started speaking nonsensically. "OhmygoshToph! Iamsosorry! I didn't mean tobegonesolong. , and then therewasthiswholecrazyfight and I ran into SOKKA!"

"Huh?" she said in a daze. "Slow down a second."

He repeated himself more slowly and told her all the details. She sighed and shook her head. "And I thought messing with pirates was Sugar Queen's specialty. All right, since I'm sure he's as confused as I was; let's go pay Snoozles a nice visit."

A little while later they were off again, back to the beach where Sokka and his crew were waiting. Sokka approached him and stopped when he saw Toph refusing to let Aang help her down off of Appa. "Wait, you mean Toph was really with you? Wait a minute! Why is Toph with you? What did you do to _my_ baby sister?"

"Like I said, it's a long story." Aang explained as Toph pushed her way past him. She gave Sokka a slug in the shoulder and smiled.

"Hey Toph, it's been a while." He said, grabbing the short girl and giving her a noogie.

She pulled away from him and laughed. "It has been. You look good by the way."

Sokka smiled broadly and stroked the whiskers on his chin. "Thanks, I've been trying to grow this nice goatee and…hey! That's _still_ not funny."

Toph laughed again a clapped him on the back. "Yes it is. Now I'm hungry, what've you got to eat?"

* * *

**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Sometimes I just suffer from procrastination and a bad case of writers block. It was also hard trying to accurately describe everything in a nice way. Anyway, I hope you liked it. I also tried to answer some of the questions that I've been asked about or tried to rectify parts that people were confused about.  
**

**REMEMBER: Reviews inspire me to write more, so if you like my story then PLEASE REVIEW**. **And please remember that flaming of any variety is not appreciated. THANKS!**


	4. Assassins on Kyoshi

**Chapter Four: Assassins on Kyoshi**

"So, I still don't get it. How does leaving Katara in Ba Sing Se and cavorting around the south with Toph solve your problems?" Sokka asked, gnawing on a piece of blubber seal jerky. "I mean, wasn't the fact that you were apart for so long one of the reasons she said no to you? Plus, did you think how would it make her feel knowing that you're off on an adventure with another woman?"

"First of all, it's _Toph_. Is she really going to be mad for me for spending time with Toph?" Aang told him, sipping a cup of tea. "But I suppose you are right. I just couldn't be there everyday to watch all those men swarm her. I wanted to spend time with her, show her that I still loved her more than the world. Still, being around her after that just made me hurt right here."

Aang pointed to his heart and let out a sigh. Sokka had insisted on knowing why he was so far south, at first because he assumed there was some fiasco going on, but realized that it was something entirely different than that. Aang was troubled, he could tell, because every time the young Avatar had problems he was having difficulty handling, the young man would run away for a bit. This was classic Aang behavior.

Sokka wanted to reassure his young friend and let him know that it would all be okay. As Katara's brother, he knew that she loved him deeply, and that she had been just as excited to see him as he was to see her. But he also knew that his sister was a fiercely independent woman with ambitions and goals to accomplish. She wanted to have her names go down in the history books. Which it certainly would considering her part in ending a war that had lasted nearly one hundred years. And she knew that it would be known for one day being the wife of the Avatar, something she truly wanted. But, at least before that she wanted people to know her as more than that. She wanted to be remembered not only as the Avatar's waterbending teacher and wife, but as a woman who was able to protect her culture and heritage, and made an influence on others for just being a strong woman. That she was known for making progressive changes that made the world better. Sokka knew that if she had already had that, she would have accepted Aang's proposal in a heartbeat. All of this, of course, was something she had told Suki in confidence, which he had accidentally overheard one afternoon when he tried to sneak up on them to incite a snowball fight. So he could not tell him that he knew all of this.

"I just think that when you get back to Ba Sing Se, you should try and make things work. They could turn out just the way you want them." Sokka spoke hopefully, producing another pouch of jerky from his bag.

"My opinion is that you shouldn't have been so quick to up and leave in the first place." Toph chimed in, snatching the pouch of blubbered seal jerky from Sokka and getting some for herself. She took a large bite and chewed it a bit. "I mean, who knows what's happened now. She could already be in the arms of another man."

"T-OPH!" Sokka whispered loudly, leaning over to her. "We're trying to make him feel better!"

She put her hand on his face and pushed him back. "Easy blubber breath. I'm trying to be practical."

Sokka made a quiet whine and tried to smell his breath as Toph pointed at Aang. "You have a bad habit of running away when something is bugging you. If Katara can't rely on you to be there even when things turn bad, it doesn't matter how much love she has for you. She'll eventually turn to someone who will be able to do the things you can't. You need to come to terms with the fact that she's grown up, that we've _all_ grown up, and it's time to start acting like it."

Aang gave her a sad, almost angry look that she couldn't see, but somehow she sensed how he felt.

"But, I do agree with Sokka that you should try and patch things up." she said, leaning over and giving him a noogie. "By the way, I didn't mean that part about that other man. I'm sure she's pining for you right now."

"Maybe." Aang said, his voice monotonous. "Hey Sokka?"

"Hrm?" the man asked, picking the gunk from his teeth with a wooden splinter.

"You're heading to the Earth Kingdom right?" he asked.

"Yea, we're supposed to be delivering our cargo just south of Ba Sing Se." Sokka replied. "Why?"

"Do you think you could get a letter to Katara for me?" Aang questioned.

"Sure, it shouldn't be a problem." Sokka told him, stretching out on his blanket. "Gives me a chance to harass my baby sister. And what about you Toph, want me to send a love note out to anybody."

"No." she replied, biting into a fresh piece of jerky. A second later she was on her feet, walking away from the boys. Momo chittered and followed after her. "I'm going for a walk."

"Something I said?" Sokka asked, then checked his breath again. "Or maybe my breath?"

"Nah." Aang told him. He briefly explained about her situation.

"Ah, makes sense." Sokka stated, rubbing his chin. "What happened to that guy she was with at my wedding? I thought they were engaged or something?"

"According to her they just didn't work out. But I think it's still a sore spot for her." Aang answered.

"That's too bad." Sokka said. "They seemed really happy together. So, where are you headed next?"

Aang paused for a moment and thought carefully. He hadn't actually thought of where he wanted to go after visiting the Southern Air Temple. He had only wanted to get there and enjoy solitude before returning to Ba Sing Se. He tried to think of someplace that would be interesting to visit. _Omashu? No, it's too crowded there._ He was at a loss. "I guess I'm not really sure where I'm going to."

"Oh, well, I was wondering, since you're down here anyway, if you'd mind letting Suki know what's happened." Sokka inquired as he rolled over on his side and propped himself up on one arm. "I'm sure she'd like to see you and it saves me from having to write a letter and send a messenger hawk. She needs to know that we'll be gone longer than planned."

"I suppose I could, but I didn't really bring any clothes for staying in the South Pole." Aang told him. He really didn't want to go there because Chief Hakoda would be there. And the last thing he needed was Katara's dad questioning him. "Besides, what do I do with Toph? She hates snow."

"Well, that shouldn't really be a problem." Sokka answered. "Because Suki and Rizu aren't in the South Pole right now. They are back on Kyoshi. She wanted to visit her family, plus Ty Lee needed her help with things. You know, Kyoshi Warrior stuff and whatnot."

Aang sighed quietly in relief. "That should be fine then. It'll be nice to visit Kyoshi. Has it changed since you got married there?"

"Eh, not really. Same houses, same market, same vicious monster living in the bay." Sokka told him. "Though they seem to get more visitors now that you can take an airship there."

"Yep, flying definitely has it's advantages." Aang said, flopping down on his back and putting his hands beneath his head. The sky was slowly darkening. "Except, of course, when you have Toph barfing all over the place."

Aang and Sokka both laughed and continued talking about different things. Sokka told him how they were expanding the Southern Water Tribe, and that it was starting to look more like the north. He said how good commerce was now that the war was over. Aang told him about life in the city and how everyday offered up new surprises. He mentioned the difficulty of meetings with representatives. It was a good talk. A real man to man talk. _It's really good to see Sokka._ Aang smiled to himself.

A little while Toph returned, arms laden with local fruit. Sokka's stomach began rumbling as soon as he saw it all and the man made a mad dash to help her "take care" of some of it. Toph pushed him away as he grabbed for the fruit. Pretty soon the two were wrestling over an apple, each clutching it in a death grip. The rest of the fruit had been plopped down onto her blanket. Aang laughed at their antics and bit into a juicy fruit that he had picked up. Eventually Toph managed to get the apple from him and heartily stuffed a large portion of it into her mouth. Sokka whined and flopped down unhappily until Momo ran up and shoved a handful of berries in his mouth.

Aang liked this. It was moments like this that made it feel as if no time had passed at all since the end of the war, and they were still the same young kids camped out under the stars. He knew it wasn't exactly the same. Katara was not here, but he closed his eye and imagined if she were. It was a good thought that made him smile. Eventually, things quieted down. The Water Tribe men had pitched tents all along the beach for the night, and repairs of the ship were set to start the next morning, and Aang and Toph would be off to Kyoshi Island.

* * *

"So, they have a kid now?" Toph asked, leaning over the front edge of Appa's saddle. Aang glanced back at her. Her long hair was tied back into a low ponytail and whipped around in the breeze. She was still a little green if the face too, almost matching the shade of green of her sleeves. At least this time she hadn't been inclined to throw up on Appa.

"His name is Rizu. He's two." Aang answered. They had left Sokka and his crew early that morning, much to Toph's dislike. It had been near impossible to rouse her from her sleep and when she did finally wake up she grumped about the beach and refused to help Aang do anything. She had eaten breakfast with Sokka as he had diligently written a letter to Katara, asking her to forgive him and updating her on what he was doing. He could only hope it would be enough. He then entrusted the letter to Sokka and the three exchanged goodbyes, but not before Toph managed to swindle some of Sokka's jerky from him.

"Kids are annoying." Toph said with a sigh. She pulled down on her green and gold tunic and used her left foot to scratch her right ankle.

"They aren't that bad." he said with a smile. Aang liked children and dreamed of having as many of his own as possible. Toph grumbled stared blankly off into the distance ahead of them.

"Just tell me that we're almost there." she said to him.

"Almost." Aang answered, looking out at the little green fleck rising up on the horizon. "I can see Kyoshi Island in the distance."

"Good." she said curtly. "Because as much as I liked what I ate for breakfast, I really don't feel like reliving the experience. And if I don't feel ground sometime soon, then poor Appa is going to need another bath."

Kyoshi Island grew larger and larger in the distance until they were right above it. Aang made a wide berth around the bay so as to avoid inciting the Unagi. Appa landed just next to the statue of Avatar Kyoshi that stood tall and proud in front of the village. Their arrival had already garnered the attention of several villagers who gathered in a large group around the bison.

"It's the AVATAR." shrieked a crowd of girls who giggled and sighed, as well as waved and batted their eyelashes at him. He simply smiled and waved back, which only made the girls squeal in excitement and fight over who it was he had waved at. Off to the right an older man with a young girl started having screaming fits, waving their arms wildly around and foamed at the mouth before fainting and falling to the ground. The other onlookers simply shook their heads and stepped away from the two.

"Some things never change." Aang chuckled, grabbing his pack off of Appa's saddle.

"You sure are popular here." Toph stated, covering her ears as the girls screamed and followed after him as he made his way into the village. He followed the main trail up to the house where the Kyoshi Warriors trained.

"Hello, Suki?" Aang rapped on the doorframe and called out. A moment later the Kyoshi Warrior emerged, followed by an entourage of young girls dressed up in the usual garb. Suki's eyes went wide and a smile bloomed on her face as she leapt at Aang and gave him a strong hug.

"Aang! I wondered what all that ruckus was about. How are you?" she said in a warm voice as a little boy pushed through the crowd and attached himself to the Avatar's leg.

"I'm really good." he replied.

"Aangy!" said the little boy cheerfully. Aang smiled and picked the child up.

"You must be Rizu. I've heard a lot about you from your Aunty Katara." the young man said in a soft sing-song voice. Suki laughed softly and then glanced over his shoulder at the short girl standing behind him impatiently.

"Is that Toph?" Suki said in a surprised tone, brushing past him. Toph smirked and embraced the older woman when she approached.

"The one and only." Toph stated.

"Okay, I have to know what's going on now. Why don't you two come inside and chat with me." Suki said, leading them inside. Then she turned back to the crowd of Kyoshi Warriors. "Can you girls give us a little while? I'll send Ty Lee to come get you later so we can finish our discussion."

"We can wait if you were in the middle of something." Aang told her.

Suki shook her head and declined. "No, it's fine. It's nothing new that we're discussing anyway. Now, details!"

"Well, there's really sort of a long story to it, but what we came here because Sokka wanted us too." Aang told her as they sat down to talk. Rizu had detached himself from the Avatar and had settled himself into Toph's lap, and by the expression on her face she wasn't too thrilled about it, but she didn't say anything.

"When did you run into Sokka? He couldn't have made it to Ba Sing Se already." Suki pondered, rescuing Toph from her son, who had found it fascinating to yank on her bangs.

Aang then briefly explained his little trip down south to her before explaining. "So, I saw a ship being attacked by pirates and went to help. Turns out it was Sokka and his crew. We chased the pirates off, but his ship was damaged pretty badly. He wanted me to come here and let you know, and tell you that his trip might be longer than expected because of it."

"I can't believe it. Not again." Suki sighed. "That's the third time in the past month that a merchant ship has been attacked in the southern waters. It's really been making it hard to get goods and supplies in the Southern Water Tribe and here on the island because of it."

"This happens a lot?" Toph chimed in, an eyebrow raised slightly. "What's up with that?"

"More often than it ever has before. From what you told me, it's the same group of renegade Fire Nation soldiers that are up to it. They have at least two or three other ships in their group that cause this kind of trouble." she answered. "And it's been getting progressively worse as time goes on. We've sent messenger hawks to nearby outposts around the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, but these pirates seem to have found a place to hide when they aren't raiding merchant ships. You were lucky it was only the one ship this time around. They've managed to sink whole fleets of merchant vessels before."

"This is the first I've heard of any of this. It hasn't been reported to the Summit leaders in Ba Sing Se at all." Aang said with an unhappy tone in his voice.

"That's strange. We've sent several reports to the Earth Kingdom representative who governs this part of the region, and they've said that it would get relayed to Ba Sing Se." Suki told him.

"Hate to break it to you Twinkletoes, but I don't think you hear a lot of the stuff that goes on in the world." Toph added. "We would get a lot of those political types back home, and I doubt that they see piracy as an important topic of discussion. They are only going to tell you about things that are going to get them the best benefits."

"You're probably right Toph." Suki said, rocking Rizu in her lap. "It seems that there's a lot you don't know about Aang. Maybe with you visiting we can finally get some help with the other problems we've been having too."

"There's more than just problems with pirates?" Aang asked, rubbing his head. He was starting to feel overwhelmed again. He only wanted a nice private trip by himself to the Southern Air Temple. Instead, his trip was infiltrated by Toph, stirred up by pirates, and now he found himself facing the issue of more troubles. _Can't I get a single day where I can just be Aang? Where I can just visit with friends and not be presented with issues that I have to help resolve because it's my duty?_

"A few." Suki responded. "That's the real reason I came for a visit here. Ty Lee sent me a letter saying that the Kyoshi Warriors were being overwhelmed in their duties and that she needed my help finding a solution. But we can discuss this later with her and the warriors after we get some lunch. I'm sure you're hungry and tired from your trip here."

* * *

A couple hours had gone by and now Aang and Toph were waiting back where the Kyoshi Warriors trained. They had eaten and Suki had put Rizu to bed, leaving him in the care of her family. She had asked them to wait for her back there while she went to get Ty Lee and the other Kyoshi Warriors. Toph was sitting against the wall and coughed briefly while she picked at the dirt between her toes. Aang sat quietly and rubbed his chin in thought.

The whole reason that the summit had been formed was to ensure peace and safety for people of all the nations. He had thought that it was working well for the most part. From the meetings held each month, it sounded like progress was being made and that peoples lives were much better. He had never heard mention of pirates attacking merchant ships or anything of that matter. _Maybe Toph is right. Maybe the only thing the representatives care about is whose city or nation gets the funds they need. There has been no mention of problems with piracy or anything like that in a long time. Not since just after the war ended._ Aang sighed and looked up as a crowd of women entered the building.

Suki and Ty Lee sat down on either side of him while the warriors gathered in front of them. Ty Lee smiled at him and gave him a hug before things commenced. Ty Lee spoke first, addressing the crowd of young women. "We're just going to finish our discussion from before, but now we have our friend, Avatar Aang, here to listen about what's been going on."

"The hope is that he will relay this information to the right people in Ba Sing Se so that you can get help with the problems you've been facing here on the island as well as in towns on the mainland." Suki spoke next. "Now, where were we?"

"I was saying how my small contingent of warriors were overcome by another group of bandits that were causing a rabble and stealing goods from Chin Village on the coast." a young woman near the front answered. "This is the second time we were called in for help there. The local authorities have also been unable to apprehend these people. They are constantly terrorizing villages all along the coast and are skilled enough to thwart even us. They've even started to burn down fields of grain and corn once they've taken all that they wanted of it. It's like they're trying to drive people out of the region."

"This is not good news." Ty Lee said, leaning over to Aang. "It seems that every time these places start to recover from an attack, the bandits return again. If it's not dealt with soon, these villages with become ghost towns. A lot of these places were abandoned during the war and the people who lived there became refugees in Ba Sing Se and Omashu. They grow a lot of the crops that get exported to the larger cities that can't sustain farmland. Many have already started leaving again for other, safer towns. Without them to grow crops, the Earth Kingdom may face a famine that will cost the lives of hundreds, maybe thousands."

"And not only that, but many people have started to refuse to fight back because these people have threatened to murder the villagers in their sleep. Just recently they threatened us and Kyoshi Island." Another young woman said from the middle of the group. "We're all at our wits end. Please, Avatar, you need to send some soldiers to help defend them. If not, the consequences might be dire."

"Aang, we've sent countless pleas to whoever we could think of, but they've all gone unanswered." Suki said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You may be the only hope that any of these villages have."

"I will do my best to take care of this matter for you all." Aang said in his best diplomatic voice. "When I return to Ba Sing Se I will confront the representative for this region and find out why he hasn't done something about it. And I promise that if something like that happens while I am still on Kyoshi Island, I will help you try and capture these bandits and end their reign of terror."

"Thank you Aang." Ty Lee said with a smile. The warriors disbanded after that. Ty Lee excused herself and disappeared shortly thereafter. Suki then turned to Aang and gave him a strong hug.

"What you're doing for us is appreciated greatly." she remarked. "It's really been getting bad."

"Tell me Suki, is it only in the southern part of the Earth Kingdom where things like this are happening?" he asked her. It was obvious that the real issues that needed to be addressed during the summit meetings were pushed aside and he was wondering what other bad things were happening elsewhere in the world that he had not been informed on.

"I can't really say, since we don't get much news from the other parts of the world." she told him. "I truly hope not though. Because it could be disastrous if such things weren't being taken care of. I'm still a little upset that you of all people didn't know about any of this."

"It's pretty bad all right." Toph finally chimed in, stretching her arms till the joints popped. "I would hear about it all the time from my friends, Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling. They have a bad habit of gossiping. Just a few weeks ago they were telling me about a town north of Ba Sing Se that got burned to the ground by some robbers before anyone could stop them. And it's happened other places too. People are becoming filled with unrest. They were happy when the war ended, but when things didn't get better as fast as they hoped a lot of people became upset. Now they're out there causing trouble."

Aang groaned quietly. _Why hasn't there been anyone taking care of this?_ He was just a little bit angry. He didn't know about any of this. Wasn't it his duty as the leader of the world to keep these sort of things from happening? "Well, this problem is going to get fixed really quickly when I get back home. If I tell them to take care of it, they will. Unfortunately it looks like my trip is going to be cut short. I'll head back to Ba Sing Se in the morning. So Toph, you'll be going back home too."

"What, getting tired of me already?" she asked, smirking at him. She laughed. "Eh, it was fun while it lasted."

"You two can stay in the dojo tonight." Suki said as she stood up and stretched out. "I'll lay some extra futons out for you there and see if one of the villagers will let Appa stay in their barn for the night."

* * *

Night had fallen over the island, and Aang found himself staring at the ceiling, listening to Toph snoring nearby. His thoughts were heavy with all the recent news he was learning about. His trip was supposed to be about his getting a vacation under the guise of taking time to personally help out the people of the world. Instead it was turning into the exact job he said that he was doing. It bothered him a little, but not as much as the fact that he hadn't heard about it from the people who were _supposed_ to be helping these people, and likely wouldn't unless it impacted the representative themselves.

_First there are pirates, but now there are bandits too? What else isn't being relayed to Ba Sing Se? _He was starting to feel really selfish for not actually helping people like he was supposed too. He was having a hard time understanding how the world could be this bad, and decided that this trip might actually be the best thing he'd done, for himself and the world, since the end of the war.

Aang sighed to himself and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep. He tried to even out his breathing and relax his mind, and it was starting to work until he felt someone slide up to him and put their hand over his mouth. His eyes shot open and focused on the face that was dangerously close to his own. Toph was leaning over him, her pale shimmering in the night and the baggy tunic she wore inches away from giving him an eyeful of the bare parts beneath. Her hand on his mouth slowly lifted away as she put a finger to her mouth and shushed him.

"Toph, what are…" he began, before she quickly placed her hand back over his mouth again and leaned down closer and put her mouth by his ear, her long unbound hair draping over his face like a dark curtain. His breath caught in his throat and he swallowed hard. _What is she doing!_ His mind was screaming questions he would be asking if only he had the chance.

"Keep quiet and **don't** move." She told him in a barely audible whisper. Her breath against his ear made his whole body feel tingly and he shivered slightly. Her head tilted towards the open door as she listened for any sounds. "There's a large group of people making their way through the village _right now._ Whoever they are, they are trying their best not to be noticed, so I doubt they're planning on being friendly."

Then in one fluid moment she pulled herself off of him and laid down on her stomach, nestled up against him so she was still close enough for her quiet whispers to be heard. Aang tilted his head towards her and watched her face as she furrowed her brows in concentration. He whispered to her as quietly as he could. "How many are there, and where?"

"More than a dozen are near enough for me to sense." Toph answered, sliding a hand across the floor in order to feel the vibrations. "There are four down near the statue, and two circling each house where a Kyoshi Warrior lives. Didn't one of them say those bandits threatened to kill them?"

"I think so. Do you think that's who it is?" Aang answered, turning his head towards the door as the moonlight spilled in from outside.

"I'd bet my last piece of silver on it." She told him as she got closer, turning his head to look at her. "They are outside this house as well. One stays just outside the door, armed with throwing knives, watching us sleep. If they see you are awake, they will kill you and me before you can react. I don't think they know who you are. The second bandit circles the house twice, and then they switch positions. That's the only time they are vulnerable. I think they're waiting for the signal to attack. So, any plans?"

"Let me think a minute." He bit his lip and processed the information she had given him.

"Think a little more quickly." She whispered, sliding her hand across the floor again. "Or we might run out of time."

"Ok, got it." He told her. "When they change over, I'll blast them with a ball of heavy air, and then I want you to clamp their mouths shut. Then I'll encase them in rock."

"Sounds good to me." Toph agreed. "Then what?"

"I didn't think that far ahead." Aang replied. "Wing it?"

"Whatever works." She whispered, nodding slightly. She sensed for the intruders again and then balled her hands into fists. She whispered to him again. "Get ready…now!"

Aang sprung up, and formed a ball of heavy air in his hands and sent it whirling out the open doorway into the night. He heard the grunt as the two dazed bandits being knocked over and whose shouts were quickly muffled by fists of rock that clamped over their mouths. He quickly bent the earth around them and trapped them inside a shell of thick rock. Toph skirted past him and snuck outside, motioning for him to come closer.

"There are way more of them than I thought." She told him quietly as he drew near. "More than you or I could handle alone. We should get help."

"I'm going to get Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors." He spoke leaning out of the doorway and peered out into the night, trying to see the people that Toph could feel.

"You do that, meanwhile I'll go create a distraction." She said nonchalantly before jogging off down the path towards the statue of Avatar Kyoshi.

"Toph, wait!" Aang called out in a loud whisper, but she was already out of earshot. "Damn it!"

Hoping she could handle herself, he grabbed his glider and snapped it open. Bending the air around him he took off towards Suki's home. While airborne, he could see an unmarked air balloon tied down on the beach with a small group of people guarding it. He could also see the four guards down by the statue that Toph had mentioned. He landed on the roof of Suki's home, carefully watching over the edge and hoping these bandits were acting the same as the ones that had guarded the dojo.

Sure enough, he spotted one of them coming around a corner of the house. As quietly as he could he immobilized the intruder as he had done with the others, by silencing them then encasing them in rock. As soon as he had done that, he jumped down from the roof and began circling the house, hoping to fool the other assassin into thinking he was their ally. He came up on the remaining guard, sneaking behind him ready to attack when someone grabbed him and caught him by the throat. He overpowered them and whirled around, coming face to face with Suki, her fans glinting dangerously in the moonlight. The other guard turned to look behind him and she pulled him back into the shadows with her before they were spotted.

"Aang, what are you doing?" she asked him, glancing back over his shoulder at the now antsy intruder who was starting to miss the absence of his partner.

"I could ask you the same thing." He told her, ducking down into some underbrush as the man got up to find his friend. "How did you know they were here?"

"Rizu had a nightmare and I went to comfort him. I saw one of them very briefly from the corner of my eye." She replied, following after the man. "I knew it was trouble. Anyone trustworthy wouldn't be lurking about in the night like that. I left him with my mother and snuck out an unguarded window."

They got ahead of the man and Suki managed to knock him out while Aang restrained him like he had with the others. With that task taken care of she turned to him. "Where's Toph?"

"She decided to create a 'distraction' while I went to get you and the other warriors." he explained. "Which means there's about to be a lot more trouble soon."

"So we should probably hurry then, huh?" she said as they rushed to get the other Kyoshi Warriors and put a stop to the invasion of their home.

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry it's been SO long since the last update to this! I really didn't intend for it to be such a lengthy amount of time. I was busy with weddings and holidays, otherwise there'd be a lot more chapters up. I'm going to try and update more frequently from now on, so keep an eye out, and if you like this story, PLEASE REVIEW! Thanks and you all are awesome.**


	5. The Black Band Bandits

**Chapter Five: The Black Band Bandits**

Toph sauntered down into the main square of the village, approaching the statue of Avatar Kyoshi where a group of the assassins were waiting. She stopped a few paces away and searched for them, finding that they were still unaware of her arrival, and had their backs turned to her. A broad smile spread across her face and she chuckled quietly. _Time to have some fun!_

"Now what have we here, a party?" She said with a smirk, putting her hands on her hips, standing in a defiant manner. The four jumped at the sound of her voice, took a defensive pose, and turned to see who was there behind them.

Toph stood proudly in front of the group, her long hair whipping behind her like a banner. The moonlight hit her like a spotlight, making her long bare legs seem to glow as the pale brown tunic she wore fluttered around just past her hips in the light breeze. The assassins started chuckling and relaxed at the sight of what they thought was nothing more than a helpless girl. They began to approach her, casually pulling their weapons out from the inside of their tunics.

"What a pretty little pet we have here." Said one of them as they moved closer. "Might have to keep this one alive for our enjoyment later on."

"Don't bet on it asshole." She spat, clenching her fists.

"She thinks she can hold her own against us." Another of the assassins spoke, this one sounding female to Toph. "She's not even one of the Kyoshi Warriors. Doesn't even carry a weapon with her."

Toph shifted her feet around to keep herself grounded to her element, waiting for them to get just a bit nearer. It would be easier to take them down that way, when they were closer together. They were almost to her now, and she could sense their vicious intent to spill her blood. They got some sick pleasure out of it she was sure. Then in an instant, the man who had spoken lashed out at her first, unable to hold off any longer. He lunged at her with a long crooked blade that she quickly deflected with a barrage of rocks she sent flying up from the earth as the others began their attack as well. They came after her with an array of weapons: swords, throwing knives, shurikens, and poisoned daggers.

She managed to defend herself well, pulling up an armor of dirt around herself to better deter their attacks. She reached deep down and pulled the earth up, sweeping it over top of two of them, trapping all but their heads in a heavy covering of dirt. The young woman who had also spoken back-flipped away a few paces then made a running jump towards her, but Toph was quicker and brought a pillar of rock up to nail the woman in the stomach, deflecting her backwards.

The female assassin hit the ground with a hard thump and was disoriented just long enough for Toph to encase her in the same way as her friends. That left the fourth and final assassin for her to dispose of. She sensed out for him, and listened intently for any noise that might give him away. She found him, scuffling in behind her, his crooked sword lashing out towards her. She whipped around and sent the rock covering her body to knock him over and encase him as well. He fell over like a log and she wandered over to him.

"Now what was that about me being a 'pet,' eh?" Toph taunted, stepping on his chest and leaning down on her knee to further intimidate him. She laughed and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, which only resulted in making her dirtier than she was before. "You all make very poor assassins. What a waste of my many talents."

The man started chuckling, and it startled her. With what was little more than sheer dumb luck, she managed to back away quick enough to avoid getting the full brunt of the man bending the rock that encased him into sharp weapons that only managed to gash her left shoulder open instead of hitting other vital organs. She stumbled back, loosing her footing as the man released his fallen comrades, who didn't hesitate to grab her by either arm to restrain her.

"I think it's more that you are very poor at seeing what's going on around you." He told her, strolling up to her and grabbing her face. He laughed and forced her to look at him, when he took in the paleness of her eyes and the way that she seemed to stare past him instead of at him. "Ha! No wonder. She's nothing but a _blind_ earth bender!"

Toph scowled as a growl rose in her throat before bringing her feet up to kick him with both of them, using the two assassins who held her as leverage to knock him backwards. He stumbled and fell down, giving her time to use her strength to toss the woman holding her right arm into him while wrenching loose from the other one before the fourth assassin could grab a hold of her. She bounded a bit away to escape their reach as the man and woman struggled to get to their feet. One of the others blew a loud whistle and Toph could feel a large group of their ally's coming up the pathway from the beach.

"Looks like this will be even more fun than I thought." She said with a smile, sending a rolling wave of earth towards the four in front of her before turning to face the approaching mob.

Aang held a man tightly by the arms while Suki searched him for weapons before tying him up and herding him in with the other would-be assassins they'd managed to take down. Nearby, Ty Lee was immobilizing the other one, a woman, by blocking her chi to her limbs while two others tied her up as well. Aang sighed and wiped beads of sweat from his forehead as he turned to Suki. "Is this the last house?"

She quickly counted heads and nodded to him. It had gotten progressively easier to thwart the assassins as they managed to join up with each of the other Kyoshi Warriors. "Yes, this is everyone."

"What about the other villagers?" Ty Lee asked, jogging up to them, while also keeping an eye out for any attacks.

"They should be fine." He replied. "Toph said that they were only after the Kyoshi Warriors. We assumed they were those bandits from the mainland making good on their threat against you."

"It definitely looks like them." Ty Lee said with a quick nod. "We usually encounter them in larger numbers though, and sometimes they have earth benders with them."

As she finished speaking, the ground shook violently and stirred the sleeping villagers, who rushed from their homes to see what the trouble was. Suki quickly jumped into action and urged them back into their homes where it was safe. Then she rushed back to Aang, who spoke. "Sounds like Toph could use some help."

"We should hurry then and get there before any more of them show up." Ty Lee told them, commanding one of the girls to guard the prisoners as they rushed off to the main square.

Toph went flying backwards as a large boulder crashed into her chest. She hit the dirt and went rolling feet over head, coming to a stop when she hit some trees. She shoved the boulder off of her and inhaled deeply, recovering the breath that had gotten knocked out of her while trying to get back on her feet. She'd managed to unarm most of the non-benders that came after her with swords, bending their own weapons into restraints they couldn't be freed from. They were strewn about the path from the village to the beach, where the fight was slowly heading, which she didn't quite care for because that meant being near water. And she was certain she hated water even more than she hated flying.

Still, there were quite a few earthbenders left in their group, and she could see why the Kyoshi Warriors had such a hard time defeating them, even with as much skill as they possessed. The thought had even crossed her mind that she might not be able to take them on alone. One muscled earthbender leapt at her and she deftly rolled away, jumping back onto her feet and splitting the earth. He tripped as he was coming after her and she sent the earth flying up from under his feet, rocketing him skywards before he plummeted back down to the ground. His attempt to soften the blow didn't help much as he pulled the ground up to him, hitting it with a loud crack.

The earthbender screamed in pain as his arm and a few of his ribs broke on impact. From behind, two others were bending large slabs of rock out of the ground, trying to sandwich her in between them. She managed to drop flat on her stomach to avoid it, but was knocked over and rolling down the path as she stood back up. She dug her fists into the earth and tried to slow herself before she hit water. She stopped just short of the shore, and spat out the mouthful of sand she'd gotten. Digging her fists into more solid ground she made fists of rock that she sent flying at her opponents to clear a path back up to the village.

"Where the hell is Twinkletoes?" she growled to herself as she blocked an attack from behind. "It shouldn't be taking him this long to take out a few assassins."

Aang led the way with Suki and Ty Lee flanking him on either side. Following behind them was a ragtag band of Kyoshi Warriors. Most wore nothing more than thin night clothes or were almost bare in their under things, without their traditional armor or makeup, armed with only their fans as weapons. Still, they looked as tough as ever. As they made their way into the square they could see the damage wrought by Toph and those she was fighting against. The earth was torn up everywhere and fallen enemies lay bound by their own weapons all around them.

Racing down the path, Aang could see his friend dodging attacks by her pursuers while doing her best to send attacks back towards them. Beside him, Ty Lee barked orders to her comrades who rushed out to take on what remained of the assassins. Aang leapt in the air and whipped a ball of air at one who managed to snatch Toph by the leg and knock her down. He rushed over and pulled her to her feet. Looking her over she seemed no worse for wear, aside from a fresh, heavy layer of dirt on her skin and a shallow gash on one shoulder that had dripped blood down the length of her arm.

"About time you decided to show up!" She shouted, shrugging off any further help and she forcefully kicked her attacker in the face, breaking his nose. The man cried out in pain as she leapt at him, wrenching his arms back behind him and made him eat dirt.

"I'm sorry, I thought you _wanted_ me to go and get help." He said with a harrumph, deflecting a boulder that came flying out from his left before sending back a whip of fire to lick the woman's feet. She cried out in pain and fell to the ground. He ducked and rolled as she flung rocks in retaliation. Coming up behind her he blew her off of her feet with a burst of air and grabbed both of her wrists and bound them behind her back. One of the Kyoshi Warriors came up on them and bound her feet up, dragging her back to where they were gathering the fallout from the fight.

"I did want help, I just expected you to be quicker about it." Toph replied with a teasing smirk, punching him in the shoulder as she came up for him. They ran down the path, taking out as many of the benders as they could, but it seemed that they had caught on that Aang was there. Toph ears perked up as she heard someone call out for a retreat of the few that were left standing.

"Seems like your little display has scared them off though." She said as she came to a stop and fell back to help one of the warriors who hadn't been able to dodge fast enough and had broken her arm defending herself. Toph turned and called back to him as the warrior used her as a crutch. "I'm going to help them round these jerks up since I can't very well chase them once their airborne. You do what you got to do."

Aang didn't hesitate as he whipped his glider open and took to the skies. He chased the airship some distance, till Kyoshi was barely a fleck on the ocean behind him, but they were able to get going too fast for him to catch them. For a brief moment he thought he saw a firebender at the helm, providing the heat that made the balloon fly. But before he could be sure they were out of sight.

"Shit." Aang cursed, banking quickly and heading back towards the island to help clear up the leftover mess as best he could. Circling the square he could see the large group of the would-be assassins gathered up near the statue. Toph was carrying a person on each shoulder and plunking them down near the others, all the while refusing to let someone look at the gash in her arm. He came down on the path where the warriors were still collecting the bandits. He saw Suki struggling to lift a particularly burly man with a broken leg and rushed over to help her carry him. "I'm sorry, but the rest got away."

"Aang." Suki spoke in a gentle tone, turning her head towards him and looking over the mass of the man. "Thank you. If it wasn't for you, and Toph, I don't think we could have captured this many, if any of those bandits. We might not even be alive."

"I'm just glad that they won't be plaguing villages anymore." He told her, smiling softly as he dropped the man down next to the others. He looked over the group. The all wore typical Earth Kingdom clothing, but something was different than usual. He accounted it to his lack of sleep and turned back to Suki.

Suki sighed and looked at all of the people tied up around her. "That may be, for now, but the others still eluded us. Hopefully it will take them a while to build their group back up, and by then I know that Ty Lee and the others will have someone to help stop them."

"I can't let this carry on any further. The piracy either." He said, cracking his back and then rubbing the back of his neck. "It's stuff like this that could instigate another war, and the world hasn't recovered yet from the last one."

Aang wandered over to a half destroyed fence and sat down, leaning against it. Suki came and sat down by him, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder and offering a smile. "Don't let this overwhelm you. The world _is_ still recovering, but I don't think there will be another war like that. Now that there is finally an Avatar again, they will look for a peaceful solution, not one that will make trouble."

"I hope so." He sighed, a large yawn betraying his attempt to not look tired enough to fall over.

"You should go get some rest. Ty Lee has people taking shifts to watch over our captives. We can decide what to do with them and the rest of this mess in the morning." Suki offered, helping him to his feet.

"Okay." He agreed, another yawn sneaking up on him. He looked around as things quieted back down. The injured from both sides were being dealt with and the other villagers had slowly gone back to sleep now that the ruckus had ended. However, he noticed one element was missing. "Where'd Toph disappear too?"

"I don't know." Suki answered. "I'm sure she's here somewhere. It's an island after all so she can't get far. Besides, she'll turn up eventually."

Aang simply nodded and walked Suki back to her family home, and smiled as her son rushed to greet her at the door. She waved back at him and disappeared into the now dark doorway. He turned and made his way back towards the dojo where a nice comfortable futon was waiting for him. He slipped inside quietly as a large lump on the floor caught his attention. Stepping out of the light, he saw that it was Toph curled up on her own futon. She lay facing the door clutching a pillow in her hands as her head rested on it. And she was still dirty from head to toe, but it seemed someone had managed to get her to hold still long enough to let them mend her wound. Her face was soft in the moonlight and her long hair fell over one shoulder to the floor. It too was covered in a fine layer of dirt and rock. _You'd never think someone who looks so serene while asleep is as brash as she is when she's awake._ He thought as he watched her a moment more as she sighed quietly and smiled in her sleep.

That made him smile as well, and he finally laid down on the other futon that was beside her, stretching out on his back with his hands across his stomach. He yawned again and his eyes fluttered closed. Aang then let sleep peacefully take him and he hoped that whatever was to happen in the days that followed would go much smoother than it had been going so far.

* * *

"Thank you Avatar Aang for everything you've done for our village." Oyaji, the chief of the village said, proudly bowing to the much younger man before him. Aang bowed back to him and smiled as he turned to Toph, who stood beside him waiting to leave. "And thank you too Miss Bei Fong. We are grateful to you both."

It was mid-afternoon and for most of that day, he and Toph had restored the torn up ground back to normal while the rest of the village began rebuilding some of the damaged buildings. Now they were getting ready to leave for the mainland, where Aang decided that a visit to the delegate for the region was needed to ensure that nothing like this happened again. The villagers had halted their repairs in order to see them off, and now were gathered where Appa was waiting for them.

"What will you do with the bandits?" Aang questioned the chief as a group of the prisoners were being led down to the beach by Ty Lee and Suki and followed by an entourage of Kyoshi Warriors. Toph wandered over to say goodbye to them.

"The warriors are going to take them to Omashu for judgment." Oyaji answered. "But I'm sure the benders will be sent to prisons out on the ocean while the rest will serve their sentence within the prisons of Omashu. I doubt they'll see freedom for a long time."

"I'm sure they'll get a fitting punishment, but we should be going if we want to arrive before dark. Take care." Aang said, bowing to the chief and turning away to finish loading the pile of supplies onto Appa's saddle. Toph had made her way back over, with Suki in tow, who made sure to give them both big hugs goodbye.

"I wish you both the best of luck. Be safe." Suki said, hugging them both again.

"Don't worry. Twinkletoes has me to keep him out of trouble." Toph joked, giving Aang a punch in the shoulder. He just sighed and rubbed it as he went back to stowing away their things. His traveling companion was a little more helpful today and grabbed a few things before hopping into Appa's saddle herself and sprawling out.

"The delegate lives in the city of Qian, somewhere between Chin Village and Omashu. It's one of the few places on the coast that wasn't targeted by the bandits." Suki reminded him as he got up around Appa's neck. "Just follow the road north from Chin and then bear east at a fork in the road. You can't miss it. Follow that road for at least a couple hours. The city is nestled in a deep valley, that's how it got its name."

"Thanks Suki. You be careful transporting those bandits." He told her. Momo came flying down from somewhere and landed on his shoulder, chittering away at him before jumping over to play with Toph's hair, which had done up in a long braid that trailed down her back like a rope.

"About time you came out of hiding fluff ball." She said with a laugh, scratching behind his ears as he murmured contentedly.

"Appa, Yip yip." Aang told his friend, and gripped the reins in his hands. Appa groaned and jumped up to take flight. Suki waved and he waved back as they flew away.

* * *

Aang had followed the instructions that Suki had given him, heading north from Chin Village. From what he saw from the sky, the village was deserted, as were several others that they passed. _No doubt the work of those damned bandits_. Toph had set herself up in her usual spot, against the saddle just behind him. He occasionally glanced back at her, mostly to make sure she wasn't going to be sick. It seemed that she was readjusting to flying though and no longer turned that awful shade of green.

"How much longer until we reach the city?" Toph asked, for the fifth time since they had left the island. Aang sighed. _It might not make her sick anymore, but she still doesn't like flying._

"A while. I still haven't seen the fork in the road that we're supposed to follow yet." He told her, again, for the fifth time.

"Can't we just walk there?" she questioned him.

"Then it will take us even longer to get there." He answered.

"So?" she replied, scratching her ear with one finger.

"You keep asking me how long it'll take to get there." He said to her. "If you're in such a hurry to get there why do you want to walk?"

"So I know what the hell is going on." She replied, nonchalantly as she flicked what he could only assume was earwax off of her fingers.

"We're not walking." He told her bluntly.

Toph harrumphed and crossed her arms and laid them on the edge of the saddle, her face taking on a displeased scowl as she rested her head on her arms. _Jerk._ She thought, and frowned a bit more. _And after I saved his ass too._ Just then her stomach growled and she placed a hand over it. She smirked and then cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey Aang?"

"I swear, if you as me how much longer until we're there _one more time_ I'm going to kick you off of Appa **right now**." Aang spoke grumpily.

"Jeez! I was just going to ask if we could stop and have some lunch." She said with feigned hurt, throwing her arms up and then flopping down on her back with a sigh. Momo scurried over and jumped on her stomach, looking from her to Aang and back again. He made a quiet chittering and gave Aang pleading eyes when he looked back at Toph again. "See even Momo thinks it's lunchtime."

At the mention of eating his stomach betrayed him by made a loud grumble. Toph chuckled softly, but didn't say anything else. She already knew this was a battle she would win. Aang thought a moment and then conceded with her. "Fine, we can stop and have lunch."

"Excellent!" She began, a triumphant tone in her voice as she patted Momo on the head then chased him away as she sat up again and leaned her back against the saddle.

"**After** we reach the fork in the road." He told her, smiling to himself, glad for some small victory.

"Damn." She complained and harrumphed discontentedly once more.

He chuckled and gave Appa a nudge to go a little faster. He decided he would be a little nice to her, even if her constant questions were getting on her nerves. It was only a little while longer until they reached the fork and Aang had Appa land in a clear spot along the roadside.

"Earth sweet earth!" Toph exclaimed as she barreled over the side of the saddle and of onto solid ground. She flopped down on her stomach and rolled around in the grass, inhaling the smell of the dirt. Aang watched from nearby and merely shook his head as he went to find some water for Appa to drink. She lay there for a while, glad to be able to see again. Aang returned quickly with a large ball of water that he was twirling around in the air before stomping with one foot and digging out a hole in the ground which he dropped the water into. Appa eagerly began drinking as Toph turned her head towards him. "I'm thinking dim sum."

Then without another word she rolled onto her stomach, and jumped onto her feet, getting things ready to start cooking. The endeavor followed its usual course with Toph doing the cooking while barking orders at Aang to do the grunt work, like starting the fire and getting the water for cooking rice. He pretty much stayed out of the way otherwise, as he had quickly been labeled the worst cook on the planet by both Toph and Suki when he had tried to help with breakfast that morning. It had turned out even worse than his cooking fiasco back at the Southern Air Temple, a fact Toph had gladly, and loudly, shared with Suki and anyone else with within a ten foot radius.

Aang left her be and snoozed for a bit against Appa until she came up, food in hand, and prodded him with a dirty foot. He snorted and popped an eye open as she held a bowl of steaming rice in front of his face. He yawned and stretched out, taking the bowl from her before following her back over to the fire where the other dishes were waiting, as well as some fresh jasmine tea. He sipped from his cup of tea and smiled. _Iroh would be proud. This is some pretty decent tea._ He sighed and began eating as his stomach grumbled at the smell of the steamed vegetables and other small dishes Toph had made.

They paused from eating for only a minute and watched as a small carriage passed by them, heading down the road to Qian. A young woman peeked her head out and watched them briefly Across from him he heard Toph laughing to herself after the carriage was out of sight. He looked at her as he chased Momo, who was trying to steal his food. "What's so funny?"

"Newlyweds." She replied, laughing a bit more quietly this time.

"Huh?" He asked, a little confused.

"Those were newlyweds in that carriage." She explained, taking a big bite of rice into her mouth, then handed a chunk of carrot to Momo who had perched himself onto her shoulder.

"How could you tell?" he pondered, looking down the road as if he might see the carriage that was already gone.

"Because I could sense them, and they were being all mushy-gushy." She told him. "That has 'newlywed' written all over it. I'd bet a gold piece on it."

"Riiiight." He said, a little sarcastically, trying to get the last few grains of rice from his bowl. Toph scowled and punched the ground with her left fist, making the ground beneath him jut up and knock him backwards. He adjusted himself, hitting the ground himself so it went back to normal, then started brushing rice off of his head and shirt. "What was that for?"

"For being a sarcastic smug jerk." She said lightheartedly and smiling. She stood and stretched, wandering over to Appa who was napping. "By the way, you get to clean up."

She flopped down against him and put her hands behind her head, relaxing while he had the dirty chore of cleaning. She was sure that if any of the big wigs their in Ba Sing Se saw the Avatar, of all people, scrubbing out pots and washing pans, they'd all have heart attacks. The image in her mind amused her and she chuckled to herself. Momo came and curled up with her for the duration of her short nap and this time it was Aang nudging her awake. Although he did it in a bit nicer way.

"Time to go Toph." He said, putting a hand on her shoulder and shaking her gently. The movement startled Momo who stretched out and hopped onto Aang, then up onto Appa.

Toph yawned and rubbed at her eyes with her fingers and she sat up and leaned forward. She scratched her head and slowly got up onto her feet. She yawned again and then turned to Aang, who was already sitting on Appa's neck. "You sure we can't walk the rest of the way?"

"No Toph. We are not walking." Aang felt as though he was talking to a child at that moment. "It's already getting late and it'll probably be dark by the time we get there."

"Just seeing if you might've changed your mind." Toph informed him, joining him on Appa. They were off in a flash and stayed low to better see the road in the fading light. Toph harrumphed and sighed a lot, obviously trying to keep from asking when they'd get there. Aang wouldn't actually kick her off Appa. Tempting as it might be, she'd enjoy getting to walk the rest of the way too much and he'd be feeling guilty about it afterwards.

Appa came up over a ridge and right up upon the carriage that had passed them earlier. It was no longer on the road and the ostrich horse that had been pulling it was gone. Below them a woman shrieked as they flew over, startled by the bison that was only a few feet above her. Aang could see her fainting as a man rushed to her side. Behind him Toph jumped up. The poor lemur that had been sleeping in her lap went flying across the saddle and crawled back, chittering unhappily at her as he passed by to sit on Aang's shoulder.

"What in the great blue blazes was that?" Toph had made her way up behind him again, holding a hand over her heart. It was rare that anything surprised her, but seeing as she was currently sightless since they were flying, he found the startled expression she held amusing.

"It was a lady on the ground. I think we scared her." Aang explained as he had the bison turn around and land a few feet away from the carriage.

"You think so huh?" Toph remarked as she set foot on solid ground again and was once again aware of what was going on around her. She could feel the two newlyweds that had passed them over and that the poor wife had fainted from the shock of seeing Appa. Aang was already making his way over to the husband, who had his wife's head resting in his lap, fanning her and trying to rouse her from her spell.

"Is she alright?" Aang asked, crouching down beside the two.

"She will be fine once she wakes up." The man explained, watching the woman's face as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She looked up at him and smiled softly, then to Aang, then Toph who had come up behind him, and finally to the hairy white mound in the distances that was Appa. She sat up in a rush and put a hand to her head, then turned back to the man.

"Piao Li, what happened?" she cried softly, falling back into his arms.

"You were just startled my sweet lotus." Piao Li spoke gently, holding her hands and helping her to her feet. The woman looked from him, to the others, and back again and then turned a deep scarlet.

"I'm so embarrassed." She said, putting a hand on her cheek.

"It's quite alright. One doesn't expect to see a sky bison like that anymore." Aang reassured her as her husband gave her a cup of cool water.

"Sky bison?" She queried, sipping from her cup. "That means you are the Avatar!"

"Yes, I am." Aang spoke kindly, bowing to her and the man. "But you can call me Aang."

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Piao Li and the woman both bowed to him. "I am Piao Li and this is my new wife Lian."

"I saw you on the road a ways back." Lian said, glancing at the bison once more. "I wondered who would be traveling the roads with such a unique animal."

"And your friend is?" Lian continued, looking over his shoulder at Toph, who stood there with her arms crossed, looking at them with her pale eyes. She had a knack of making it seem she was looking at someone even though she couldn't actually see them.

"Toph Bei Fong." Toph answered, smiling briefly at the woman before wandering over to the carriage waiting by the side of the road. She ran her hands over the wooden wheel closest to her. "Looks like a broken wheel."

"Ah, yes. We hit some unusually rough terrain for this road and it damaged it so much that we were force to stop. The driver took the ostrich horse and went on ahead to find some help, but I doubt he'll make it back by anytime soon." Piao Li told her, walking over to where Toph was crouched, his wife and Aang in tow. "We aren't looking forward to spending the night out in this wilderness."

"Where are you heading?" Aang inquired.

Piao Li looked back at him. "Qian. We're returning back home from our honeymoon."

"If you'd like, you can come with us." Aang offered motioning to Appa. "We are on our way to Qian ourselves."

"On the bison?" Lian wondered, unsurely eying the sweet bison that was grazing on some nearby grass.

"Is that a problem?" Aang asked.

"Lian is deathly afraid of flying. We tried to take an airship to a nice resort in the west for our honeymoon, but she fainted before we were even airborne." Her husband explained.

"Well, that means we'll just have to walk." Toph chimed in, a chipper sound in her voice. "After all we can't leave a _defenseless_ couple of newlyweds out in the middle of nowhere, can we _Avatar Aang_?"

She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow and smiled broadly. As much as he hated it, she was right. He couldn't very well leave them out here alone. The wife seemed much too delicate for that sort of thing. "I suppose not. We can load your things on Appa and he can follow after us. We'll get as far as we can before it gets dark and then stop for the night."

"Thank you so much Avatar Aang." Piao Li said gratefully as both he and his wife bowed deeply. Aang and Piao Li unloaded all of the things from the broken carriage into Appa's saddle and Aang asked his friend to follow after them. The bison grunted and gave him a soggy kiss. Piao Li left a hastily sprawled note in the carriage should they not meet up with the carriage driver before they reached the city. Aang led the group from his glider and Toph took up the lead on the ground. She couldn't have been any happier about being able to walk the rest of the way either.

* * *

Come nightfall, they made camp just off the road. Aang was helping Piao Li construct a makeshift tent for he and Lian, while Toph took it upon herself to make dinner. With her husband busy, Lian took to following the young earthbender around the campsite like a lost puppy. It was really starting to get on Toph's nerves too. The other woman would trail so close behind her that if she stopped abruptly, Lian would bump into her and nearly knock her over, after which she would apologize profusely. She would back off for a little bit, but then be right up behind her again. Toph was beginning to wonder if she glued herself to her husband like this as well.

She dropped some vegetables into a boiling pot of broth, stirring them a moment. _What I wouldn't give to eat some __**meat**__ again._ She sighed and stood up, and crashed right into Lian who had been timidly pacing behind her. The impact knocked both of them onto their backsides. The earthbender grimaced and blew at the hair hanging in her face.

"I'm so, so, so terribly sorry, again Miss Bei Fong." Lian said, bowing to her as she got up on her feet.

"Please, just call me Toph." Toph decided that it was time to stop the madness before it continued. Standing back up she put her hand on Lian's shoulder and led her over to the seating area that her husband had delicately set up for her when Aang had announced that they should stop for the night. She had the woman sit down on a large fluffy pillow and smiled softly at her. "Why don't you wait here until dinner is ready, hm?"

"Oh, but, I would like to help." The young woman told her, now fiddling with her hands as she sat there.

"Well, it would very helpful to me if you sat here quietly for a bit." Toph suggested, smiling again as Lian fidgeted more.

"Alone?" Lian queried.

"No, not alone. I'll be right over there by the fire." Toph explained. It was becoming blatantly obvious that this young woman didn't get out much. "And your husband and Aang, the Avatar, are only a few feet away."

"Okay." She conceded, sinking into the pillow a bit more and watching as Toph walked away.

A short distance away, Aang was watching the event unfold, highly amused by the whole situation. He had even chuckled a bit loudly that last time that the two women had crashed into each other. Toph rarely was able to be knocked down, but it seemed the flighty young woman managed too. He could also tell that she was starting to get agitated with Lian when she led her away from the activity and made her stay sitting there. He could only wonder what it was they said to one another. Piao Li seemed more or less oblivious to it all. _He must be used to it by now, being married to her at all._

Aang chuckled again, and Piao Li looked over at him and smiled. "You seem very amused."

"Ah," Aang began. He needed a good excuse for his laughter, one that wouldn't embarrass or insult the man. "I just remembered something funny is all."

"I see." Piao Li said, banging a wooden stake into the ground with the heel of his foot. Then the man turned to his wife and grinned. "My lotus is so beautiful."

Aang glanced over to where he had last seen the woman and noticed she was no longer there. Briefly scanning the campsite, while trying to get a makeshift support beam to stay up straight, he found her. She was once again tagging along behind Toph, getting in the way and generally causing chaos. He glanced at Piao Li, who was waiting for Aang to confirm his statement. "Yes, she is very pretty."

"Yes, I am a lucky man." The man said as he finished staking down corners of the tent, and then put an arm around Aang's shoulders. "Now, let's see what there is to eat!"

* * *

"Agh!" Toph screamed into her pillow, her screams muffled by the walls of her rock tent. "That woman is just…argh!"

She had never come across such a clingy, needy, timid young woman before. Not even the young noble girls that she taught earthbending to clung to her like that. The woman was like a child. Dinner had gone over as well as an Elephant Koi in the Si Wong Desert. Lian had glued herself to Toph until her husband had finally gotten within arms reach, where she then helplessly clung to his waist. And even when she tried to be helpful, Lian only managed to cause a mess. The earthbender doubted that the woman had ever cooked or served a meal by herself in her life.

Toph finally rolled over and lay on her back for a minute, when the awkward pacing that was easily identified as Lian started shuffling around outside her tent. Dropping one wall of her tent, she listened in to the continuing conversation.

"…for ten minutes, at most Lian, my dear." Piao Li comforted his wife, who had death gripped herself to his arm, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Don't leave me all alone Piao Li, please don't leave me alone." Lian pleaded, clutching him even tighter, as he tried to wedge himself loose. Aang stood on the sidelines and Toph could sense him shaking his head ever so slightly as he held back a laugh. "I'm so afraid out here!"

"You will be fine. There is nothing out here that will harm you as long as you stay put." The husband explained, finally wrenching himself free of her grasp and plopping her down onto the plush pillows nearby. "Now, the Avatar and I are going to get some more firewood."

"Please don't go!" Lian sobbed, burying her face in her hands. Aang stifled another laugh, and glanced her way, and she swore she could feel the mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Don't worry Lian." Aang said soothingly as he chimed in for the first time. He dropped down to her side and patted her back. Then he motioned at Toph, who was now peeking halfway out of her tent just to hear better. "Toph is right there and she'll protect you. She is a master earthbender after all. I'll bet she'll even let you brush her hair."

"You did say how envious you were of her long locks, my sweet." Piao Li added, slowly backing away from her.

"Really?" The woman's voice trembled as she looked to the earthbender and then to them again.

"Really." Aang assured her. Seeing as how that appeased her, the two men took their chance to escape the camp, leaving the two women all alone. Toph scowled deeply and made a mental vow to get even with him. _Just you wait Twinkletoes! I'll sneak up on you like a ninja and knock you into your next life!_ She growled quietly as Lian scuffled over to Toph. Then, with as much sweetness as she could muster, the earthbender smiled.

"Your hair is really so pretty." Lian told her with a teary smile and petted the end of Toph's braid. Toph growled again and started thinking of all the ways she could get back at him.

* * *

"How long ago were you and she married?" Aang asked, making small talk as they disappeared into the darkness. He flipped his palm up and coaxed a small flickering fireball to form in his hand to light their path.

"Nearly a month now." Piao Li answered, grabbing some twigs up off the ground nearby. He sighed and smiled. "We were wed on the cusp of springtime, before the summer heat began. Never has there been such a happy day in my life."

"You talk about her as though she is the gem of your life." The Avatar stated, pushing back a large branch that hung in his way. The way Piao Li talked of his wife he would have thought they had been together for years. "You must have been sweethearts for a long time."

"Not really." The other man responded.

"So," Aang began, raising an eyebrow. "How long have you known her then?"

"Nearly a month." Piao Li replied, casually gathering more tinder and fallen branches. Aang gave him a puzzled look.

"So you met…" he began.

"On our wedding day." Piao Li finished. "The matchmaker said she would make the perfect bride for me. It was a beneficial union for both my family and hers. I got a beautiful wife whose family status has elevated my own, and they gained a son-in-law whose business ventures keep us all with our heads above water."

"Um, sure." Aang was speechless otherwise. He was having a hard time processing what he just heard. Piao Li and Lian were involved with an arranged marriage that was not based on love but on what either would gain from such a union. _Never, in a hundred million years would I ever do such a thing._ His mind was reeling and he was suddenly filled with a great understanding why his friend so wholeheartedly avoided the arranged suitors her parents sent.

"She is; of course, quite a bit younger than me, but it is that delicateness which I love about her." Continued the man. "It also causes problems time and again."

"But, if you truly love her, then age shouldn't matter." Aang was trying to get some leeway here, and all this talk of marriage made him start thinking more about Katara again. "How much of a difference is there anyway?"

"Twelve years." Piao Li said, in that casual unconcerned voice. Aang stumbled. _Just how old is that girl anyway?_

_

* * *

_

"You have such lovely hair." Lian said, pulling a bristly brush down the length of Toph's dark locks. She sat facing the fire while the young woman slid the brush through her hair over again. "It's a shame that you don't do more with it."

Lian was obviously referring to the impeccable coif that she was sporting. It was done up with so many pins and bobbles that Toph was surprised she didn't fall over from the weight of it. The brush jerked through a tough tangle and she gritted her teeth. Lian sighed behind her. "Still, I'm so jealous of you."

"For what?" Toph asked gruffly. "My hair?"

"Well, yes, I suppose that's one reason." Lian answered, giggling softly and scrunching up her nose. "But also because you are with the Avatar. It must be such an honor."

"It has its moments." Toph told her, shrugging her shoulders and taking a drink from the cup of sake she had poured herself. It was the only way she knew she would be able to resist strangling the mousy woman.

Lian giggled again. "And here I thought the Avatar was sweet on some waterbender from the south. Glad to see he has better taste than that."

Toph gagged on her drink and began coughing ferociously as the other woman patted her back. "What now? You think I'm _with him_ with him?"

"I just thought, since you were traveling together, and you seem so close…" The woman trailed off.

"No no no no no no **no**." Toph said, shaking her head and her hands in objection at the same time. "We're just **friends**, and only friends."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I jumped to conclusions." Lian said, shrinking back in on herself. "It's just that any one I've ever known who was that close. Well, they were together...intimately together."

"Do you not have many friends, Lian?" Toph queried. "I mean, surely you and Piao Li must have started off as friends at some point?"

"No. Our marriage was arranged." The young woman answered, sinking to her knees and timidly going back to brushing Toph's hair. "I was very sheltered as a child."

"That explains a lot." The earthbender mumbled under her breath. She cleared her throat and spoke louder this time. "How old are you anyway?"

"I'll be sixteen next month." Lian replied. Toph choked again and had another coughing fit. Her poor companion growing even more puzzled with her.

"Egads woman! What would possess you to agree to such a thing?" Toph was getting mad now. This was just so typical. _Damn nobles and their outdated traditions!_

"What do you mean? It was an honor to marry into Piao Li's family." She spoke softly, choosing her words carefully as it seemed they were upsetting her companion. "My parents said it was a good match and a good thing for our family."

The earthbender relentlessly continued with her interrogation. "But you don't even love him, do you?"

"I do. I think." Lian sounded confused. "He is very good to me."

"Didn't you ever have any dreams, goals, ambitions?" Toph asked.

"Of course!" Lian had perked up now. "To marry a man of my parents choosing and bring honor to my family. To be a devoted, loving wife and give my husband a home and family. That's what I want."

Toph scoffed and crossed her arms, trying to hold her tongue. _It's brainwashing! I'm glad I was smart enough to get away from it before my parents did it to me!_ She couldn't hold back anymore.

"Is that it? Is that really the only thing you wanted out of life? To be a pampered housewife who wastes her life confined behind the walls of her husbands estate?" Toph spat bitterly and Lian lost all of her perkiness once more. The earthbender had that effect on people.

"No?" Lian answered cautiously, gauging Toph's reaction. "I…I, well, it's silly really."

Toph, sensing the nervousness of the girl turned around and placed a hand over hers. "Go ahead."

"I wanted to open a dress shop, and design clothes for people." Was the timid response from the woman.

"Now, _that_ is a real dream." Toph said in a nicer voice, her anger ebbing. She even managed to give Lian a nice smile. _I might actually start to like this self-assured version of Lian._ "Keep a hold of it and try to pursue it. Don't resign yourself to just being someone's wife."

"Okay." Lian answered, smiling back finally and Toph thought she might have dug through all of the timid sheltered much to the real girl beneath it all. "Say, Miss Bei Fong…um, I mean, Toph?"

"Hm?" The earthbender queried.

The young woman had an even bigger smile on her face now. "Do you think, maybe, you would let me design a dress for you when you get married?"

Then she snuck in, in a whisper. "Maybe to the Avatar?"

Toph heard her and was just about to speak up about that when she heard the crunch of footsteps approaching. Piao Li passed them and dropped his pile of firewood next to them while Aang tilted his head as Toph turned beet red and tried to hide it. "Who's getting married?"

Lian, breaking in her newfound confidence, opened her mouth to reply but Toph caught on a second quicker than she had to start speaking. A hand clamped over the young woman's mouth before she could even inhale. Toph grinned at him and then dragged her off to have a nice talk about what she shouldn't just blurt out. Piao Li looked at him, and then the girls who were wandering away. "What's with them?"

"Who knows?" Aang said with a sigh and he dropped his pile of wood with Piao Li's and then started rifling through things for the teapot. A nice warm cup of tea was just the solution to soothe his still spiraling brain. He found it, buried at the bottom of a bag of freshly scrubbed pots (his doing, since it seems clean up duty was his new permanent chore). He bent some water out of a flask at his hip and bent it into the pot. He placed it on the fire and waited for it to start boiling as Piao Li went off in search of his wife.

He and Lian wandered by as he was taking his first sips of freshly brewed tea, and disappeared into the tent that he and Aang had set up earlier. Toph appeared a few minutes later, an apathetic expression on her face as she plunked down beside him and flopped back in the dirt, sending dust up around her. He glanced down at her and held a cup out to her. "Tea?"

"Only if by tea, you mean sake." She commented, sitting up. She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck, then reached over for her half full cup that she had left sitting there. She filled it up and drank it down in one shot.

"Rough night?" He joked, sipping his tea.

"No more than usual." She answered, filling the cup again, but drinking from it slowly this time. She shook the jug of alcohol in front of him and smiled. "You game?"

"I don't drink." Aang told her, pushing the jug back her direction.

"Is this one of those beliefs of yours like the whole not eating meat thing right?" She said with a smirk, elbowing him hard in the ribs as she set the jug down. "Suit yourself. I just thought you'd actually like to get some sleep tonight, but I guess not."

"What do you mean?" Aang asked, finishing his cup of tea and pouring another.

"Have you ever been around newlyweds before Twinkletoes?" she asked him.

"Of course." He replied.

"Who?" She perked up an eyebrow.

"Sokka and Suki. I was there when they were married. So were you." He told her. "I think you've had enough to drink, with all these dumb questions."

"Yes, we were there when they got married, but then again you didn't sleep within ten feet of them that night either. I'm just glad I opted to not stay the night after the wedding." She said, shivering a little at the thought. "There's a reason why they've got the phrase 'honeymoon baby' you know."

She pointed over to the tent where Piao Li and Lian were. "Granted they didn't just get married, but they're still newlyweds, and just because we're here doesn't mean they'll be courteous just for us. At least I've got a buzz and a wall of rock to block most of it out."

Aang stared at the tent for a moment and thought about what she had said. Then his eyes went wide with realization as his mouth fell open. "Oooooh."

"Trying to catch flies?" she asked, reaching over and snapping his mouth shut. She shook the jug of sake in front of him. "Changed your mind?"

He looked down at his half finished cup of tea and poured it out on the ground beside him. He held it out to her and looked away as she chuckled and filled it. He stared down at the new liquid in his cup and sighed. "What the hell."

And then he downed the cup, coughing once as it went down. Toph patted him on the shoulder and reached over to refill it for him. He drank it, more slowly this time and was glad that it didn't burn as bad going down this time. Beside him, his friend sighed and rubbed her nose with one hand. "Just be glad you can't _feel_ them."

Aang chuckled, but the chuckle soon became a loud obnoxious laugh that she joined in on. And so they sat there, by the fire, slowly drinking the last of the sake they would get until Qian, and laughing jovially. It was late before they both wandered off to their respective beds. Toph returned back to her tent of stone and Aang made himself cozy in Appa's saddle that he had removed earlier. He stared at the sky, laying there with Momo cuddled against his head, and smiled. Spending time with Toph was fun, adventurous, despite their recent run-ins with pirates and assassins. He wished he could enjoy everyday life like he was enjoying this. _If only, _he thought,_ if only._

_

* * *

_

Aang groaned and rolled over, holding his head, which ached something fierce. Popping one eye open, he was able to see that it was still fairly early, but the sunlight coming up over the horizon seemed much brighter than he was used to. He shut his eyes and rolled back onto his back, covering his face with one arm. He didn't even want to move, and began to vow never to drink again. Or at the very least, never drink with Toph again.

A few moments later he felt someone jabbing him in the rib with one finger. He lifted his arm and glared to his right. His eyes met pale green ones that didn't look at him. "What do you want, you awful evil woman?"

"Awe, love you too Twinkletoes." She said in a childish voice, pinching his cheek. He grumbled and batted her hand away. She pulled it away, but instead shoved a cup in his face. He looked at it and sniffed it, cringing at the smell.

"I am not drinking any more sake with you _now or ever again_." He said sternly. She continued to push the cup at him. Beside him Momo yawned and sniffed at the cup, then licked out of it and shuddered. He chittered and leapt over onto her shoulder and down her back.

"Hair of the polar bear dog, as they say." She pushed the cup at him until he took it from her. "Just drink it. And if you don't feel a little better after that, I _did_ make you some tea."

He did as he was told, and the headache ebbed a bit as the alcohol made its way through his system. It was enough to get him to get up out of bed. He looked around, as the sunrise painted the campsite with a golden hue. Most of it was already cleaned up and organized, save for the fire, which had the teapot sitting over the flames, keeping the tea inside warm. Toph walked up beside him, a bag in each hand, and dropped them into the saddle. He watched, as he served himself some tea, as she dumped the other bags into the saddle as well then kicked up a pedestal of rock to sit on. She could feel him watching her and turned to look at him, even though she couldn't actually see his face. "What?"

"You." He trailed off.

"I, what, spit it out Twinkletoes." She asked, scratching behind her ear.

"You actually packed up." He told her. "I'm just surprised. It's kind of out of character for you."

"Aren't I just full of wonderful surprises." She said in a sarcastic, but joking tone. "I'm going to go rouse the newlyweds. You might want to saddle up your buddy while I'm at it."

He simply nodded and used his airbending to lift the saddle onto Appa's back, where he secured it down and then nuzzled his furry friend. Piao Li and Lian wandered out of their tent, neither looking thrilled to be awake so early. He offered them what was left of the tea Toph had made, while the earthbender took down the makeshift tent and tossed it into the bison's saddle. She then waited for them to get done and tossed the teapot up as well. Then they were off like a herd of turtle ducks, down the road to Qian.

* * *

"So, what was all that talk about you getting married last night?" Aang asked mischievously, about midday after scouting from the sky for how far they were from the city. She scowled and punched him in the shoulder. He rubbed it and looked to see if it was bruised. "That hurt you know."

"I know. It was supposed to hurt." Toph told him, cracking the knuckles on both hands.

"All I did was ask a question." He stated, a teasing smile on his face that she couldn't see, but could still feel. "I'm just wondering if you found yourself a boyfriend while I wasn't paying attention. And I hope it's not Sokka, because he's taken you know."

"Shut up Aang!" she growled, punching at him again, but he was too fast for her this time, and leapt over to her other side with some airbending to get him out of her reach. _Playing games, huh? Well, it takes two to tango bucko._ He walked on beside her, grinning immensely and thinking he had the upper hand on her for once. She laughed and tripped him up by making part of the road sink where he was walking. He fell face down and the only thing that saved him was his airbending.

"Come on. I'm curious." He nagged, and stepped in front of her. Behind them, Lian giggled and buried her face in Piao Li's tunic. Toph rolled her eyes. Aang looked back at the other woman, grumpy that they had a secret that he wanted to know and wasn't being told.

"Curiosity killed the cat owl." Toph remarked, stepping around him and continued down the road.

"Yea, well, I'm not a cat owl, now am I?" He said, walking backwards in front of her.

"Not as far as I know, but then I've never seen your face, have I?" She teased. "For all I know you could be _uglier_ than a cat owl."

"Hey!" Aang whined. He scoffed and adjusted his robe, walking with his nose in the air like a snub. "I happen to be devilishly handsome, just so you know."

"Really?" She asked coyly, a big broad smile splayed across her face. Lian snickered behind them and Aang flashed her a dirty look. But it was too late. Toph had heard her and now smiled even larger.

"I hope you know that you're a horrible liar." She chuckled, punching him in the arm again, but not so hard this time. Then she pointed down at the ground. "My feet told me so. By the way, a good piece of advice, never play cards against me."

It was quiet for a bit, save for the quiet whispering of sweet nothings behind them, and they continued onward. However, Aang had not given up. He was dead set on knowing what it was his friend and Lian had been talking about, and why they had stopped talking about it when he approached. And also why it was that Lian thought it to be so hilarious she giggled at every mention of it.

Aang took a deep breath, and moseyed up to Toph, who had taken the lead. "So, are you going to tell me?"

"Do you really want to know?" Toph asked, taking a deep breath and letting out a long sigh.

"Yep." He told her, grinning.

"Really?" She asked in a sing-song voice putting her arm over his shoulder and leaning in closely so her face was right next to his. "_Really really?_"

Aang sighed. "Yes."

Lian giggled again, and somehow he had a horrible sinking feeling that he was walking into a trap, or at least going to be regretting asking later. Toph smirked and pulled away; mimicking the walk he had taken earlier, of walking backwards in front of him. She casually stuck her hands in her pockets and shrugged. "Okay then, I'll tell you."

Still walking, she leaned forward and put her mouth next to his ear, whispering softly in a seductive voice she was sure would give him the heebie-jeebies for the rest of the day. "Apparently, I should be marrying you. We're very suitable for one another from what I hear."

Aang paled as she backed away, and she could feel him stopping dead in his tracks. His jaw went slack as she turned on her heels and snuck away. Then, with a shake of his head, he looked up at her. "Wait, what?"

Suddenly, everyone but he burst out into loud raucous laughter. He stared dumbfounded at her as a shiver went up his spine. Toph chuckled. He jogged to catch up with her, but she kept him at a distance. "Did you really say what I think you just said?"

"I dunno," She called back over her shoulder. "What am I supposed to think that you're thinking of when you're thinking of what I just said?"

"That's not funny Toph!" He shouted at her.

Toph shrugged. "Really, because I thought it was _hi-lar-i-ous_!"

"Stop it!" He whined.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to bite off more than you can chew?" She teased. Aang tried to catch up with her again, but she was too fast and got ahead of him.

"But, if you really **must** know," She cupped her hands and shouted as loud as she could back at him. "Lian thinks we're lovers and should go and get hitched!"

And then like a flash she disappeared over a hill in the distance, leaving Aang turning a bright red color. Behind him, both Lian and Piao Li were stifling their laughter. And then he wished he could kick himself in the ass. Eventually his blush faded, and they caught up with Toph, who waited just over the crest of the hill. As they came upon her she splayed her arms out to gesture in front of them.

"Ladies…and Piao Li," She began. "I give you the Earth Kingdom city of Qian!"

* * *

"Thank you so much Avatar Aang for guiding us back to the city." Piao Li said, bowing deeply to him. They had made it safely into the city, and had guided the newlyweds to their home. Now they stood outside the gate of the estate, exchanging farewells.

Beside him, Lian moved over and pecked him innocently on the cheek. "We are very grateful."

"It was an honor." Aang said, bowing to them. "Good luck and many blessings on your marriage."

"Thank you!" They replied, waving as he and Toph walked away. Momo hopped between Aang's shoulder and hers, and back again, deciding which was better to perch on.

"Nice how you always get the thanks." Toph joked, not really caring one way or another.

"What can I say, I'm the _great_ Avatar Aang." He puffed up his chest and spoke in a deep voice. "Champion of justice and truth, ender of wars, master of the elements!"

"Yea, well you're still a Twinkletoes." She replied.

"Yea, and you're short." He told her, resting his elbow on her head. She got mad and shoved him away. He nearly bumped into a lady with a basket of groceries in one arm, and a baby in another, but managed to avoid knocking her over. Still, he ended up tripping and falling over. Trying to catch himself, he grabbed at her and pulled her down with him. They both landed with a hard thud on the flagstone roadway, Momo sandwiched between them. The lemur screeched angrily and ran off; most likely to the stable where they'd left Appa. At least there, he had less of a chance of being crushed.

"Nice. Maybe I should start calling you klutz instead." She told him as he pushed her up off of him, and then turned around to give him a hand up.

"You were the one who shoved me." He replied, crossing his arms indignantly. Before she could counter with another witty remark, a woman screamed behind them. Aang jumped up onto a wooden barrel to see over the crowd that was clearing the away. Back where they had just left Piao Li and Lian, the crowd was making a circle away from the gate. He looked down at Toph, who looked as though she already could sense what was happening. "Looks like trouble."

"I think those two just attract it." She said, before darting off and shoving her way through the crowd. Aang chased after her, and grabbed her by the shoulder, pulling her back.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"What's it look like? I'm helping." Toph answered, shoving he way through the throngs of people again.

"Can't you just let the guards take care of it?" He shouted, trying to catch up with her. As he pushed through to the front of the crowd, he could see what all the commotion was about. Lian was being held at knifepoint by a masked thief. Tears streamed down the young woman's face and she whimpered for her husband.

"Back away now or I kill the pretty little noble lady." Spoke a female voice from behind the mask, laying the blade against the skin of Lian's neck, then at Toph, who stood defensively, rock fists already formed. The thief turned to Piao Li, who was backed up against the wooden doors of the gate, a look of fear on his face that matched his wife's. "Now, give me all of your money and valuables! Quickly!"

Toph backed away a bit, noticing him at the front of the crowd. She placed herself in front of him, defenses ready, and whispered over her shoulder to him. "She hasn't seen you yet."

That was all he needed to know as he slipped back into the crowd and around the corner where there was no crowd. He leapt up onto the wall of the estate and carefully approached overhead. Piao Li fumbled with the coin purse on his belt and removed his jewelry, dropping it into the coin purse as well and noticed Aang up on the wall as he handed it to her. The thief noticed his gesture and snatched the coin purse as she swiftly turned to face him. Using the distraction Toph leapt forward. The thief backed up against the wall, the knife still at Lian's throat.

Surrounded, she made a quick decision and shoved the young woman at Toph and darted away down the road. Aang snapped open his glider and made chase as she weaved down roads and alleyways. Toph caught Lian, and then passed her to her husband, forcing her way through the crowd to follow after Aang. The city guards who were unsure of what to do with a life at risk followed after, trying to block off the thief's escape. Aang caught up with her first, landing in front of her and stopping her from moving forward. She turned to double back, but the guards had caught up as well and blocked escape from behind. Pausing as he and the guards slowly moved in on her, she tried to dart down a nearby alley, and ran straight into Toph, who whipped her arm out and caught the girl in the throat, taking her down.

The guards swooped in and arrested her. She struggled to get free and it was then that Aang noticed the black band around her arm and suddenly remembered the pirates that attacked Sokka's ship. _Were there any women aboard that ship?_ _No, there were only men, and they were Fire Nation. This girl's eyes are green._ And suddenly he remembered the assassins back on Kyoshi, and how he thought something was not quite right about what they wore. Thinking back, he realized that they too wore plain black bands around their arms as well. _She can't be one of the assassins; Suki said they don't trouble this city._ Aang decided that he should interrogate this woman as soon as possible.

"You're thinking about something, aren't you Twinkletoes?" Toph asked, making her way up to him.

"Yea, and it involves talking with that girl." He responded, following after the guards who were dragging her away. "Care for a little interrogation?"

"Sounds like fun." She told him, keeping in pace with him.

* * *

"Do you belong to some kind of gang?" Aang asked sternly. The guards had no problems letting him interrogate this thief. He had helped capture her, and, of course, he was the Avatar. Now he stood in a walled, windowless room with only one door out, pacing around in front of a girl who was not much older than thirteen. She scowled at him and stuck out her tongue defiantly. He sighed. They'd been there a while and she refused to give any answers.

Toph was leaned into the far left corner of the room behind her, which was starting to intimidate the girl, but not enough to get an answer. Finally, she pushed off the wall and walked around the chair to face the girl. She put each hand on an arm of the chair and leaned in close to her until their noses almost touched. The girl shirked back as Toph stared at her with her glassy green eyes. "Well, if she won't talk through intimidation, I suppose there are other _alternative_ methods."

Aang watched her curiously and wondered what exactly she had in mind when she said 'alternative' methods.

"Now, I know you're scared and afraid, but we won't hurt you. We just want to find out some things from you. Some things only you can answer for us, okay?" The girl slowly nodded, as Toph turned to face her again. She spoke very sweetly and smiled at the girl. "You'll actually have to speak to me sweetheart. I'm blind and can't see you nodding your head."

"Y…yes'm." The girls spoke, a tremor in her voice. She had lost all the daring she had displayed earlier, but then again, his earthbender friend had that effect on people. Toph bent down by her, and brushed away a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. Aang stood back, watching his friend comfort the girl.

"Now, can you answer the question that my friend asked earlier?" Toph questioned softly.

"About the gang?" The girl queried as Toph gently nodded. "Yes, I am. They told me I had to rob that lady if I want to be a member. Now that they know I was caught, I can't go back."

"It's okay. Gangs are bad. They're trouble." Toph told her, smiling. "What you want to do is grow up good and follow your dreams."

"I will. I promise." She agreed. "Just don't lock me away. My mom's heart will break."

"Don't worry. We'll do our best to keep that from happening." Aang finally spoke up again. He knelt down in front of her and smiled softly. She smiled back at him, wiping away another stray tear. "Can you tell me your name?"

"My name is Tamae." She answered.

"Hi Tamae. I'm Aang." He told her. "I have another question for you. You know the band you have around your arm, the black one? What does it mean?"

Tamae sniffled, and put a hand over the band, pulling it off and holding it in her hands. "It's how the gang got its name, The Black Band Bandits. There's lots of them out there. I heard a rumor that they are in every nation."

"Who was your boss, or who told you to rob that lady earlier?" Toph questioned.

"He was just an average member, I think. But theys looking for lots of new people." Tamae replied. "I heard that a bunch of 'em was caught not long ago and were locked up in Omashu."

"Do you know who that member's boss is?" Aang queried.

"I listened in when I shouldn't of, and I know they answer to the biggest boss who lives up north somewheres, but around here, they listen to somebody called the Dragon Line." She answered, frowning and throwing the black band to the floor. "Mostly they just call him Dragon."

"Thank you for helping us Tamae." Toph told her, taking the girl by the hand. "Why don't we get out of here and take you home, hm?"

"I really, really want to go home." Tamae said. Aang rapped on the door, and the guards opened it and let them through. At first they objected to letting them take the girl with them, but Aang finagled them into believing that the girl would not repeat her actions, and with the promise that she'd simply do community service instead of jail time. She was only a kid after all.

They made their way out, Aang leading the way with the girls close behind him. As they followed the long corridor to the front entrance of the jail, they were met halfway by a statuesque man with an entourage of guards behind him. He smile and approached Aang, bowing deeply to him. "Avatar Aang! What an honor it is to have you visit humble Qian. And to even go as far as catching a thief for us. I assure you though; the streets of my city are clean of troublemakers. The city guards see to that, but sometimes one or two just _slip_ through their fingertips."

The man glanced at Tamae, who slid herself in behind Toph and watched him cautiously from around him. Aang bowed back to the man, watching him uncertainly as he spoke. "And who might you be?"

"I am Ling Dao Ren, a humble delegate to the Nations Council and mayor of the city of Qian." The man announced with a flourish, bowing to Aang again and smiling at him.


	6. The Secrets of Qian

**Chapter Six: The Secrets of Qian**

"Please, come with me to my home for a hot meal. A man of your status doesn't belong in such lowly place as a common jail." Ling Dao Ren grimaced, running his hand down the length of his beard. He caught sight of the girl quivering behind Toph, and gave her an unusual look before placing a hand around Aang's shoulders and leading him away. Toph put her hand on Tamae's head, and followed after, up and out of the dank prison. Once in fresh air, the delegate inhaled deeply and motioned for a carriage waiting just outside the gate.

"This way, Avatar Aang. You're, hm, _friend_ too." Ling Dao Ren bowed graciously as a servant opened the door to reveal a plush interior. Beside him, the Avatar gave him her name. The delegate glanced at Toph, whose clothes were the same that she had worn the day before. They were a bit dirty, with grass stains on the knees, and there was a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Then he glared at Tamae, but changed expression when Aang looked at him. Now he smiled at her and patted her roughly on the head. "You skitter off home, and stay out of trouble. You may not be as lucky as to have the Avatar to save you next time."

Then he cleared his throat again and nodded at the still waiting carriage. Aang bowed his head to him, and climbed inside, feeling a little unsure about the man. But he had promised to discuss the recent events with the delegate, and he was a man of his word. Ling Dao Ren climbed in after Aang, and settled himself in. However, Toph did not follow. Aang leaned forward and looked at her. "Are you coming?"

"No." She told him flatly, putting a hand on her young friends back and pushing her forward. Then she shifted her weight and looked in his direction, her head slightly tilted to the side. "I'm going to take Tamae home first. I'll catch up with you."

"Okay." Aang said as the servant quickly snapped the door shut, before he could say another word. He was trying to decipher the look on her face as she talked to him. It seems she had the same feeling about the delegate that he did; only she was trying to use her skills to figure him out. He, however, would do his best to make judgments on the man later. He had been nothing but polite since his arrival. It was the typical behavior of city leaders when they heard he was in town. The delegate seemed to dislike Tamae, but he brushed it off as normal nobility snobbery.

The carriage leapt forward as the ostrich horses trotted away, and he was able to glance out a curtained window as they passed Toph and the girl. Across from him, Ling Dao Ren was pouring two glasses of a strong drink. He could tell, because he could smell the liquor from where he sat, and politely declined when a glass was offered to him. The delegate took a long sip and then smiled at Aang, twirling his beard again. "Now, may I ask what brings you to our fair city? Nothing troubling, I hope?"

"Unfortunately, this is not a visit of pleasure." Answered Aang, taking on the cool rationale of a skilled diplomat. "There are some problems that I have recently been made aware of that I have come to you for, to hopefully resolve said problems."

His companion frowned and took another drink. "Surely it must be something quite disconcerting for you to have come this far. The council in Ba Sing Se must be _terribly_ lost without you. However, I am honored to be able to offer any help."

Aang leaned forward, placed his elbows on his knees and put his hands together. "I have recently taken up a new mission, so to speak, to do some traveling and help out where I'm needed. And to raise the morale of the three nations of the world."

"An admirable quest, but Qian is not having any difficulties." Ling Dao Ren smiled. "I would say to visit some of the other villages along the coast, but unfortunately they have come under some duress…or so my reports have told me."

"This is exactly why I am here. I was on Kyoshi Island two days ago, and while there, assassins attempted to take the lives of the Kyoshi Warriors who live there. The assassins, as I'm told, are of the same group that has been turning the villages you mentioned into ghost towns." Aang explained. "Before that, a trade ship from the Southern Water Tribe was nearly sunk by pirates. It was explained to me that there have been several attempts to contact you for help that have all gone without reply. I want to know _why_."

"I have received no such messages." He replied coolly. "If I had, such situations would have immediately been dealt with."

Aang was silent for a moment, watching as the delegate finished off his drink and set the glass aside. His answer came too quickly, almost as though he expected to be asked about such things. At the moment he wished Toph had not decided to take the girl home. She would have been able to tell if what the delegate was saying was truthful or not. But until she joined them, he'd have to try and figure it out on his own. He leaned back in the seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Then it seems we should deal with them now, before they escalate into something that might bring trouble here to Qian, don't you think?"

"Of course Avatar Aang." Ling Dao Ren bowed his head towards the younger man. "Whatever you think is best."

The carriage suddenly came to a stop, and the door swung open a moment later, revealing a lavish estate just beyond. The delegate stood and stepped out. "But before we start such things, we should head inside to my office. Then, once your friend joins us, we can have supper."

Aang nodded, and followed the man up a long path to the main building on the estate. It was rather large, and he found himself trying hard to follow the winding layout of the building as Ling Dao Ren led him to his office.

"I'll be but a moment." The delegate told him as he was ushered inside. Then Ling Dao Ren shut the door and stormed down the corridor they had just gone through, an assistant in tow. Once a good distance from the door, he turned and slammed the assistant against the wall, scowling at him. "I want all traces of the messages sent here _destroyed_. Nothing should be left. I want you to move our little operation off estate grounds until our _esteemed guest_ is gone! And I want it done before nightfall."

"But, sir, it will take until nightfall to even organize the manpower to make such a move." The assistant quivered, trying to hide himself behind the stack of papers in his hands. Ling Dao Ren snarled and dropped the man, who sunk down to the floor as the delegate loomed over him.

He pointed a finger at the assistant and his scowl deepened. "Just do it. I especially want to make sure all operations have ceased by the time the Avatar's earthbender friend turns up. She can…sense things, and could put all our plans in jeopardy. And I swear, if we are caught I won't _hesitate_ to kill you where you stand."

"S…sir?" The assistant scrambled to his feet, the papers shaking in his nervous hands. "Perhaps, if we moved things to one of the far corners of the estate instead, where neither the Avatar or the earthbender will go, w...wouldn't that be _easier_ than to risk a move to somewhere else in the city. Especially when we would have to move it back afterwards."

Ling Dao Ren frowned and stroked his beard, glancing down the corridor at the door to his office, where the Avatar sat just on the other side. "Fine. I don't care about the details; just get it done as _discreetly_ as possible. We're already on shaky ground as it is."

"Yes, Ling Dao Ren, sir." The assistant shuddered, and started to slink away from the delegate.

"One last thing." Ling Dao Ren said, thinking of something at the last minute and catching the assistant before he could disappear. "Send some girls out to find the earthbender and distract her a while before she comes back here. I want to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"Of course." The assistant nodded and rush around the corner, barking orders at every person he came across.

Ling Dao Ren exhaled angrily and whipped around and marched back to his office, forcing a smile on his face as he slid the door open. The Avatar was resting in a high backed chair, hands resting on his lap. He turned his head to greet the delegate with a smile as he entered. The delegate bowed to him and made his way around the desk. "Thank you for your patience. I had some things to clear up before we got underway."

"It's quite alright; now let's get back to the troubles at hand." Aang told him, and they soon were deep in discussion about the recent events the Avatar was witness to. Still, Aang had this unwavering feeling that he should keep a close eye on the delegate._ There is just something not right going on here. And I intend to find out what it is._ Occasionally, Aang would glance out the window or listen in for an indication that Toph had returned, hoping that it was soon so they might put to rest all of the dilemma's that had popped up.

* * *

Toph thought carefully, Tamae leading the way as the carriage carrying Aang and the delegate passed them on the road. She could sense the fear emanating off of the young girl beside her, which quickly faded as the carriage turned a corner and headed the opposite direction of where they were going. Heading deeper into what the earthbender could tell was the poorer part of the city; she finally said out loud what she had been thinking. "I don't trust him."

"Who?" Tamae questioned, grabbing Toph by the shirt sleeve and pulling her into a narrow alley.

She answered casually. "The delegate, Ling Dao Ren."

"Shh. You shouldn't say such things out in the open." Tamae hushed her as they rounded a corner into another alley and up a set of wobbly wooden steps. At the top, the girl pushed open a door into a dilapidated apartment. "This is where I live. We can talk more openly here."

"I take it from the way you shushed me that the delegate isn't as nice as he pretends to be." Toph stated, flopping down on the cool stone floor. "I could tell there was something sneaky about him."

"We don't talk about it, not unless we wanted to be jailed for saying bad things about him." Tamae explained, glancing out each window before closing the curtains. "Nobles don't take kindly to such things."

Toph leaned back, crossing her arms and looking directly at the girl." I want to know what's really going on Tamae. You were hiding something from us back in the jail."

"H…how did you know?" The girl blushed in embarrassment as she finally sat down with the earthbender. She fiddled nervously with a loose string on her pant leg. Toph could feel her shaking and place a hand over hers in reassurance, then smiled. Tamae calmed down a little, and then looked up into the earthbenders pale eyes. "I was going to tell you and the Avatar after we left the jail, and came here. I really was. But then _he_ showed up."

"Well, he's not here now. You can tell me." Toph patted her hand gently and gave her a small smile.

"Okay. You know that group you wanted to know about, the Black Band Bandits." She began, speaking softly. "Well, I wasn't actually just recruited by them. I mean I was, sort of, but a few years ago. And I guess I wasn't really recruited, but forced to help them. You see, me an' my mom didn't always live in Qian. We came here after those bandits raided our village. We lost my dad that way, an' with our home destroyed, we came here. It was a safe haven, that's what my mom said."

"So if they drove you from your home, why did you work for them?" Toph raised an eyebrow as she asked.

The girl sighed sadly. "I didn't know it was them at first. My mom was working hard so we could survive, an' then they just showed up here one night and told her if she didn't let them have me, they would kill us both. They blindfolded me and led me somewhere, an' when they took it off, I was in a room with no windows. There was a bunch of other kids there too, some my age an' some who was younger. I was allowed to come home once a week to see my mom, but otherwise they kept me there, locked in with the others. Most of the rest didn't get to go home."

"What did they want from you?" Toph was scowling now, unhappy by this latest development.

"They wanted us to make this poison. You see, one of the plants they used to make it only grows on the cliffs over the ocean. They couldn't use earthbending to reach it because people would know, an' the grown ups was too heavy to be hoisted down." The girl answered.

"Because you kids were lighter and easier to lift." The earthbender said, and thought quietly for a minute. She looked down and rubbed her chin with one hand. "If they had you doing that, then why send you out to rob someone?"

"I got too old." Was the simple answer. "I'd seen it happen before to the other but I didn't know whatever happened to 'em. They just pulled me away from the others an' told me I was going for some training. They taught me about how to use a knife an' stuff like that. Then told me I belonged to the Dragon Line now an' had to go rob someone. They were testing me. Most nobles keep themselves surrounded by guards or stay locked up in their estates, but those two were all alone. I figured it'd be easy, 'til you an' the Avatar showed up an' caught me."

"Why did you go through with it, why not just run away?" Toph was getting angrier. Such tactics as using children disgusted her.

"They would of killed me, an' my mom." Tamae's voice filled with sadness as she spoke. "An' now that they know I talked to you, they'll come after me."

The girl finally stood up and began gathering some of the few things in the apartment, clothes, and shoved them into a worn rucksack. Suddenly Toph was on her feet and watching the door as she felt someone running up the stairs. A moment later the door burst open and Tamae jumped at the sound and dove behind the earthbender. A woman rushed into the dark apartment and shrieked in surprise when she saw Toph, but calmed down when she saw it wasn't someone who might hurt her. She placed a hand on her heart and wiped tears from one eye. The woman was out of breath and disheveled, with the hair falling out of her bun and tear streaks across her face. Tamae peeked out from behind the earthbender and gasped in surprise before bolting at the woman. "Mom!"

"Tamae, my baby." The woman caught the girl in her arms and both slumped to the floor in tears of happiness. "I was so afraid that I would never see you again, but then one of the neighbors came into the shop and said they saw you come home! I ran all the way here."

"Mom, we have to leave, now." Tamae told her, pulling her mother up, and then went scrambling back to finish stuffing the rucksack as full as possible.

"Why, what's wrong?" The mother asked, looking wide-eyed from her daughter to Toph.

"I was caught Mom, by the _Avatar_. An' he made me tell him everything." The girl responded, swinging the bag over her shoulders, and then motioned to the earthbender. "This is his friend. She brought me back here."

Her mother began to shake. "Oh spirits. We'll never make it out of the city. They catch us before we even reach the gate. Why would you tell them, Tamae, why?"

"I think they can help!" The girl said in a strong voice. "It's the Avatar. He defeated the Fire Nation. It should be easy to stop the Bandits."

Toph interjected. "I'll go with you to the gate and see that you make it out safely. You should try to get to Omashu. It's safe there. But we should leave now, before those people show up."

Both Tamae and her mother agreed, and grabbed the last few remnants of their belongings. Toph led the way, making sure the two were right next to her as they made their way through the rush of crowds bustling along the streets. They weaved down back alleys when they could, towards the city gate. Toph could sense someone following them, but they stayed at a distance. It was likely that they didn't know of her skill, which meant that she had the upper hand. Tamae clutched onto her mother, who had a firm grip on the earthbenders sleeve. Her terror ebbed as the gate grew larger in the distance. The guards eyed them with disgust, but did not move to stop them. They made it through the gate and once on the other side, the mother cried out in relief as she turned to Toph.

"Thank you, for everything. You've freed us." The mother said, reaching out and hugging the earthbender in an act that greatly surprised her. "Please, may I have your name, so we can let you know that we are safe and well?"

"I'm Toph Bei Fong." Toph answered. "I live in Gaoling."

The woman hugged her again, and then took her daughter by the hand and set out down the road, waving back to her, even though she could not see it. Toph turned and went back through the gates, still sensing the people who were following her. They weren't going after Tamae and her mother, but the fact that they were still following her made her angry. She stuck to the main roads, heading back into the upper class district of the city. They were closing in on her and she made sure to be on her guard. Finally, as she rounded a corner, two women came up on either side of her.

"Miss Bei Fong?" One of them asked, stepping out in front of her and bowing as the earthbender came to a stop.

"Who's asking?" Toph asked gruffly.

"I am a servant of the delegate Ling Dao Ren. It was requested that we find you and take you to his estate." She answered, as her companion linked arms with the earthbender. The woman linked arms with her on the other side and they both led the young woman, unwillingly, through the streets of Qian. They stopped in front of a long building and she was ushered inside. She could feel the steam coating her skin and sensed the large pools of hot water as soon as she stepped in the door.

"This doesn't seem like any estate to me. Where the hell are we?" She demanded, pulling free of their grasp, and turning on her heels to face them. She scowled and crossed her arms across her chest defiantly.

"We were also ordered to bring you here, to one of the most extravagant bath houses in the region. Delegate Dao Ren noticed your disheveled appearance and thought that a noble lady such as yourself would like to clean up before arriving at the estate for supper." This time the other woman spoke, exchanging nervous glances with her companion as if she were worried Toph would bury her in the earth and not let her out.

"No thanks." The earthbender began, shoving her way past the two women towards the door. However, they were surprisingly strong and managed to stop her. They pulled her back into the bath house, where a bevy of women began stripping her free from her clothes before forcing her into a steamy bath.

"We're quite sorry Miss Bei Fong, but the delegate specifically ordered that you be bathed." The first woman apologized as the other women pulled at her hair and scrubbed at her flailing limbs, removing her beloved healthy coating of earth. They bowed to her as they walked away. "We will be waiting in the carriage that should be arriving soon."

"Argh!" Toph growled, making a silent vow to personally pummel the women and the delegate when she got the chance. _No one cleans me without my permission. NO ONE._ She growled and snarled as a sweet smelling liquid was poured in her hair. And she wasn't sure if it was the steam or pure embarrassment that made her cheeks flushed, but she just knew that Aang would never let her live this down, _especially_ if they dolled her up.

* * *

"I think the solutions made, while temporary, will keep the villages on the coast safe from bandit attacks in the future." Aang said, shaking the delegates hand from across the table. "But if things become too much for your men to handle, don't hesitate to contact someone in Omashu or Ba Sing Se."

"Certainly. I hope we will be able to bring peace back to this region just as you have brought peace back to the world." The delegate smile, and the airbender thought, smirked just a bit. He tilted his head and tried to figure out the man as he released his hand. _Maybe I'm just imagining the worst of this man. If only Toph were here, she'd be able to set things straight._ As he thought, Ling Dao Ren stood and motioned towards the door. "Dinner should just be getting set out now; we should adjourn for the evening."

Aang glanced out the window behind him to see the sky painted hues of oranges, reds, and purples as the sun set on the horizon. It was worrying him that his friend had not turned up yet, and he wondered if she might have gotten herself caught up in the usual spot of trouble. He recalled the battle back in Gaoling that left the whole city aware of what was happening, and cringed. But, he was sure if such a thing had occurred they would have known about it immediately. Still, he felt he should vocalize his concern. "I wonder where Toph is."

"Do not worry, I sent some servants out to find her. I'm sure she's probably already waiting for us in the dining hall." The delegate motioned out the now open door and Aang passed him on his way out. The two walked in silence through the maze of an estate, and was led through a small courtyard and into a large dining hall that reminded him of the one at Toph's parent's estate back in Gaoling.

They were not the first to arrive, as the table was surrounded by the delegates many assistants and household staff. They were mingling around the room, engaged in casual conversation, but not a single person had started to eat yet. Aang suddenly felt as if he were back in Ba Sing Se, in the Earth King's palace, where no one dared to start eating until he had arrived. He scanned the room, looking for his friend, but did not see her. Ling Dao Ren was leading him towards the head of the table. He turned to look back behind him, just in case he missed her looming in a dark corner somewhere, and bumped right into someone.

"I'm so sorry." He said sincerely to the tiny young woman standing there. She scowled at him and he almost walked away, but then realized he recognized the face and that agitated scowl. "Toph, what in the name of the spirits happened to you?"

He now looked at her in full view, and was blown away. And as he stared, she could feel it, and not only did it make her turn an awkward shade of red, but it also made her really angry. "I. Hate. This. City."

They had ambushed her, she explained, recounting her ordeal. She griped how they had stripped her of her dirt, and once finished, refused to return her clothes, stating that they were being sent to the wash and would be delivered to the estate later on. She had blown a gasket then, and asked if they expected her to walk out of the place in the nude, an idea she would not have minded if she had known what was coming next. Not only did they clean her, but they put her in a dress and messed with her hair, two things which were off limits. And even then she had refused to leave without a pair of pants to replace the underskirt of the dress they had forced upon her.

And then, the makeup, which became another long rant within itself. Aang looked her over again as she complained on. He actually thought she looked rather pretty. His eyes first went to her face as that was the current topic of hers, where they had dusted her face with a rosy blush and delicately brushed a golden yellow shade across her eyes, and then her lips were glossed over with a soft pink. The dress she wore was a soft pastel green and trimmed in white, and styled much like the one she wore when he met her at her parent's estate for the first time. Only the neckline on this dress was much more open, and he felt guilty for staring just a moment too long at her ample bust, knowing that if she hadn't been off on a tangent at the moment, that she would have slapped him across the face without hesitation. It also had long sheer sleeves that narrowed at her wrists then flared out again. Trailing downwards he saw that the dress only came down to her calves, and beneath that were the mismatched pair of beige pants that she had demanded. And, of course, no shoes.

"And don't even get me started with the hairdo." She complained, getting his attention again. She pulled on the matching braids dangling down from either side of her head and over her shoulders. The had brushed her bangs aside to reveal her piercing eyes, and put a small portion of her hair in a bun, and then pinned an obnoxiously large flower at the crown of her head. "Did I mention that I hate this city?"

"Yes, you did. But I don't see why you're complaining, you look nice." He told her, hoping that might quell her tirade.

She gave him a dirty look and crossed her arms._ I can't even punch him for lying._ She sighed and then brushed past him. "Let's go eat. I'm hungry."

Sitting down at the head of the table with Ling Dao Ren, the rest of the crowd quickly joined them, and the delegate made a lengthy speech about how honored he was that they were there. When he finished, he turned to Aang and smiled. "Please, enjoy the meal. It's not very often we get a celebrity in our city, let alone one as prominent as yourself. It's an honor."

Toph knew that was a lie before the words even left his mouth. The delegate was really anything but pleased that they were there. Aang, sitting next to her, seemed to be able to sense it as well, maybe through a facial expression she wasn't able to see. Still, they both knew he was lying, and that was all that mattered. She also knew that she had to share the information she had gained from Tamae as soon as possible. It was only a theory, but she was pretty sure that the problems they had been having lately were going to seem like peanuts compared to what she thought was true.

Trying to be discreet as possible in getting his attention, she gently slid her hand under the table, and placed it on the one he had resting on his knee. Then she gave it a squeeze. He paused from lifting some noodles from his bowl and looked down at her, an eyebrow slightly raised.

"What is it Toph?" he asked gently, leaning down slightly to hear her better.

She whispered, her voice almost blending in with the murmurs of the crowd. "After dinner, we need to talk, it's important."

Ling Dao Ren had caught this little exchange between the two, and it made him suspicious…and nervous. He cleared his throat and an assistant came rushing over to his side. He pulled the pad of paper from the man, and the quill, and quickly scratched down a note.

_Make sure the Avatar and the earthbender are placed in separate rooms at opposite ends of the estate. Keep them apart so they can't do any consorting together. I think the earthbender knows. Get rid of her. T__ONIGHT__._

The assistant looked down at the hastily scrawled note, nodded in affirmation, then disappeared out of the dining hall. The delegate glanced over at his two guests, who had returned to eating in silence.

Thankfully, when the meal ended, everyone slowly trickled out. Normally there would be a party of sorts if he were there, but the delegate had seen to it that he could get a relative amount of peace. He stood and stretched out, offering to help Toph, who simply pushed his hand away and stood on her own.

"Well," Aang said, stretching his arms out and faking a yawn. "It's been a long day, so we better be off to bed."

_Twinkletoes, you're a __**terrible **__actor._ Toph mused, but gave in to his little charade as he linked arms with her and walked out of the dining room. If they were lucky, the trick would work and they'd be left alone to their own devices.

"Ting, Bao, take them immediately to their separate rooms." The delegate ordered, as two of his assistants rushed after Aang and Toph.

"Excuse me, please." Called the female assistant, who was the first to catch up with them. They turned back and watched as her companion joined her. "Delegate Dao Ren would like us to escort your rooms."

Wedging herself between the two, Ting turned them around and began leading them back down one of the main halls that ran through the estate. Bao flanked Aang on the other side. _At least we can talk once we get to our rooms._ Thought the earthbender, who now hoped that their rooms would be close together.

As they reached a fork, Ting led the earthbender one way, while Bao led the airbender another. Toph stopped in her tracks and glared at the woman. Aang had stopped as well and dragged the man back with him as he caught up with Toph.

"I thought we were going to our rooms?" The Avatar queried.

"You are." Explained Bao, tugging on Aang's arm. "The delegate understands that you and your companion would not want it to be mistaken that you were sharing a bed with one another, and has arranged for your quarters to be set up at opposite ends of the estate."

The without another word, the two assistants dragged Aang and Toph away from one another. Toph mumbled a curse under her breath as her friends footsteps became distant murmurs behind her, then faded all together as she was led through the vast estate. Ting slid open the door to her room, and led her inside. The assistant retreated down the hall as another person came and stood guard at her door.

"Damn it." She cursed out loud, ripping the ghastly flower off of her head, letting the bun it held in place fall down her back like a cascade. "I'm being babysat."

She sat down onto the plush futon that had been laid out for her and stared at the door with her blind eyes. She waited, and listened, and felt to see if there was a chance to make a quick escape. The guard didn't falter, except to switch which foot he placed his weight on. Another set of footsteps came up the hall, and she heard voices from the other side of the door. She scooted over to the door, bracing her back against the wall, and slid it open only a sliver to hear better. It was a young woman, likely one of the patrolling guards, who had stopped to talk.

They were talking about drivel, and she was contemplating busting holes through the walls in order to sneak off while absentmindedly yanking on one of her braids. She wandered around the room and felt along the walls. There was only one window, and she had assessed that it was far too small for her to fit through. She returned to her spot at the door and continued to listen. The conversation picked up, and she perked her ears, listening intently to their conversation.

"…had the operation moved off the grounds?" Said the woman, her voice a soft murmur. "I can't see why he's so worried about a blind girl and a clueless Avatar. I mean, sure, the guy was all tough and badass when he beat the former fire lord, but he's been sitting pretty in the palace in Ba Sing Se for the last six years. He didn't even know about what's been going on around here."

"I still wouldn't underestimate them. Didn't you hear about what they did on Kyoshi Island?" The man told her quietly, glancing back at the door briefly, but not noticing that it was slightly ajar. "Besides, I happen to know for a fact that it wasn't moved off the grounds at all."

"Really?" The woman moved in closer.

The man smiled and leaned against the wall. "Yea, Dragon didn't want to risk getting caught, so had them moved off to one of the far corners of the estate instead."

Toph turned her head more and tried to hear more of their conversation. _Dragon. That's the name Tamae gave us. So he's making his poison here?_ Now she knew that she had to get out of there and warn Aang. Even if he was the Avatar, if they ambushed him in the middle of the night while he was sound asleep, he was a goner. She was so deep into the conversation now that she jumped when someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Whirling around she brought up her hand and slapped Aang right across the face.

"Ouch." His voice came across as an almost inaudible whisper as he rubbed his face with his other hand.

Toph slid the door shut and backed away quietly, then turned to Aang. "How did you get in here?"

"The window." The airbender answered while shrugging his shoulders. She was puzzled for a minute, having figured it was too small for her already, and wondered how he managed to get in from there. He watched as she furrowed her brows and understood. "I made it bigger to get through."

"Well, then let's get the hell out of here while we have the chance." Toph stood, cracking her back and her knuckles as she approached the wall with the window, but Aang grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"Bad idea." He told her. "They've got a patrol out looking for me. I think seeing a couple of people climbing through a hole in the wall might just catch someone's attention. Besides I already fixed it."

"What did you do anyway?" She accused, pointing a finger in the direction of his voice.

"Nothing..." Aang glanced out the window and then back to the door where the two guards were still idly chatting. "Intentionally."

"Great, just great." She harrumphed and crossed her arms, coming up behind him as he peeked out the door. "You're supposed to be the discreet one Twinkletoes. Now what did you do?"

"This." Before she knew it he was out the door, and did something fancy with his hands that resulted in knocking out the two guards. He grabbed the man first and pulled him into the room, and then the woman.

She stood there unmoving, arms still crossed, with both eyebrows raised. "_What_ was that?"

"What?" He popped his head out into the corridor and then looked back at her.

Toph waved her hands around crazily and then pointed at the unconscious guards. "The little hand trick."

"Chi blocking. Ty Lee taught it to me before we left. Thought it might be useful." His answer was concise, and he grabbed her by the arm, pulling her down the hallway.

"Let me guess, we're escaping." She said bluntly as he tiptoed down the hallway, glancing around corners as though he were stealthy.

"That is the plan."

"Then you better let me lead the way. Besides, we've got bigger problems than just escaping." She was the one who grabbed him this time, pushing him into an empty room when she sensed someone approaching. The whole estate was now in an uproar, and the amount of people walking around had doubled. She turned her head towards him and sighed in disgust.

"Like what?" He asked as he heard someone barking orders to wake the entire household.

"Like how those bandits we were told about are kidnapping kids and making poison." She grunted, leading him down the hall again and around a corner. _Damn this place is huge. I can't even find an exit, not without making one of my own._ They paused as she sensed around her, then continued. "Oh yea, and their doing it somewhere on this estate. I'm sure that delegate has something to do with it too."

"How do you find this stuff out?" Aang scratched at the back of his head.

She laughed gently. "I'm just that awesome. Besides, the question should be why we're always caught in situations like this. I'm starting to that trouble is just naturally attracted to you."

"Hey, everything was going smoothly until I ran into you." He blamed.

"So this is all my fault huh? Just wait 'til we get out of here." She growled, pushing him.

"But seriously, how do you know?" He asked.

"I'm a very good listener, and I know to ask the right questions." She answered, being coy. Now was not the time to be playing twenty questions. He sighed and she could feel him staring at her, which, quite frankly, was irritating her. Apparently he was looking for a straightforward answer.

"Tamae told me about the poison and the kids forced into doing the dirty work. She used to be one of them. I know it's here on the estate because Ling Dao Ren's guards are a bunch of blabbermouths." Turning down another corner she suddenly stopped halfway. "Shit."

"What's wrong?" He queried, looking down the hall.

"There are two guards ahead of us and another pair about to go down the corridor we just came from." She answered. She felt out, but the nearest room was at the far end of this hallway, and they wouldn't make it even if they ran. Even earthbending would give them away. "And no place to hide."

Aang thought for a minute and looked around. A few feet back there was a dead end to the hallway that went back some to allow a small seating area. It wasn't particularly well lit in the estate this time of night, and the seating area was blanketed in shadows. He grabbed Toph and pulled her back, darting across before the other guards came down the corridor. Slinking into one of the corners, he pulled her up close to him. Then he shushed her and covered her mouth with one hand, and listened. She got mad, and bit him. "They're going to catch us, what are we doing?"

"Just wait." He told her as the sound of footsteps got louder and louder. She tilted her head up and opened her mouth to say something to him, most likely a threat, when he leaned down and kissed her deeply. His hands slid down to her waist, and he leaned back so she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach him. She tried to protest, and push him away, but he held onto her tightly, and soon she was lost in the kiss. His lips were warm and full, and then she was kissing him back (it had been a long time since she'd been kissed and he, surprisingly, was quite good at it). Her mind became fuzzy and she lifted her hands to grip his shoulders, and felt his muscles beneath the fabric. Her heart fluttered as she pressed against his broad chest.

A voice broke her out of her reverie. Just behind them were the four guards that she had felt just moments before. "What are you two doing there? Strict orders have been issued that all staff within the household are to be looking for the Avatar and his earthbender. Quit sucking face and start searching."

Then Aang broke the kiss and spoke in a deep gruff voice to mask his own. "Yes sir."

They both remained in that position a moment more, as the guards continued their search. Aang sighed with relief and then let go of Toph, setting her back down on the flats of her feet. And then she slapped him for the second time that night; so hard that the red mark remained for a couple of minutes afterwards.

"If you _ever_, and I mean _**ever**_ do that again, I will cut off your lips and feed them to an armadillo lion." She jabbed him in the chest with her pointer finger. It didn't matter that she liked it (which she wasn't about to admit, not even under threat of death), but that he had just forced it on her.

"Sorry, but it made a good distraction." He said, turning an awkward shade of red.

"You can pay for it later; let's just get out of here." She told him, both of them now running. Toph led the way, whipping around corners without bothering to watch for guards. She was peeved, and needed some target to take out her anger on. Aang, who was generally light on his feet, was having a hard time keeping up with her, and was left standing there, dumbfounded, when she pulled up a wall of rock in front of her and slammed it into a large group of guards who had spotted them. She didn't hesitate, and snatched him by the hand, yanking hard as they turned that last corner. She busted through the door, kicking a large boulder at it and making the foundation shake.

The earthbender dashed for the tall wrought-iron gate and grabbed the bars, contorting the metal in her hands until she could get through. Aang grabbed her arm and stopped her. She turned to him. "What are you doing? Do you want to get caught by that bunch of thugs?"

"We can't just run away." He told her, pulling her back through the gate.

"This is not the best time for you to start changing your ways Twinkletoes." She said, half in jest, mostly just to get him riled up enough to listen to her.

"We can't just let them continue making poison to kill people." He said justly. "Nor can we abandon those kids who need us."

She made a face at him as he pulled her to hide behind some bushes as guards rushed towards the gate. _There goes that exit._ She spoke softly. "You realize that we are outnumbered right. No Kyoshi Warriors this time. No chance of a sneak attack on them. And they have the upper hand. They know every corner of this estate, we don't. And let's not forget the _poisoned_ weapons."

He squeezed her shoulder. "Think of Tamae."

_Damn Twinkletoes,_ she thought,_ always has to hit the soft spot._ She sighed in defeat and nodded. "Fine, we'll go save them, but if we die here, I'm haunting your future lives until _the end of existence_."

He smiled and somehow she could tell, and knew that she'd be kicking herself for this in the morning, granted she lived that long. She recalled what the guards had said about the "operation" and grabbed him by the waist, sinking them into the ground and covering the hole behind her. She released him and began burrowing a tunnel under the estate. Aang followed behind her, bending a fireball in his hand so he could see the way.

"My guess is that they keep this underground somewhere. I mean, they had earthbenders back on Kyoshi, why not here." She stopped and felt the earthen walls around her, trying to pick up any vibrations. She turned her head one way, then the other and felt out around her. She opened a path to her left; digging the tunnel down a little bit deeper, then straightened it out.

All around him, Aang could smell the damp earth and the chill from being underground, and he was reminded of back in Ba Sing Se, before the war, when he had locked his seventh chakra because he had to rescue Katara. His thoughts lingered back to her, and wondered what she was doing back there, and wondered what she would think of his letter to her. Those thoughts were cut short when he walked right into Toph, who had stopped again. The flame in his hand sputtered out and he mumbled an apology to her. When she did not respond, he rekindled the ball of flame and looked at her.

She was pressed against the wall of earth directly in front of them, her head turned as she listened to what was on the other side. Then she motion with one hand for him to come closer. She whispered to him. "We are right on the other side of an underground room. No kids here though, so it must be one of the storage rooms. If you were an evil bastard who went by the nickname of Dragon, what would you do with a bunch of kidnapped kids that you were trying to keep the Avatar and an earthbending master from finding?"

"Uh," he thought, contemplating her question. "Keep them all together I suppose, and have them guarded."

"Smart answer." She praised, reaching up and rubbing his bald head. "Good to see you finally using your noggin."

She backed away from the wall and balled a fist with one hand, rearing back to punch through the wall. Just as she swung forward, he caught her arm and stopped her, moving in front of the wall. "Why break through now? Why not just stay hidden and stay underground until we find the room they _are_ in?"

She shrugged free from his grip and cracked her knuckles before entering. "It'd be much easier to just navigate through the underground rooms than try to burrow around them. It'll take less time than trying to play find the needle in the haystack like you are suggesting. I mean, it's not a _bad_ idea, but eventually they'll figure out what we're up too and move those kids before we find them."

"Fine, go ahead." He said, stepping out of her way as she reeled back again and punched the wall down in a loud rumble. She hopped down from the tunnel as the dust cleared. He peered out and followed after her. They stood in an empty, dark room that smelled like soot and other unpleasant odors. He could see that workstations were scattered around the room, left unkempt as though the workers had left in a rush all at once. Against the far wall, a large cooking pot sat on top of a metal grate with still smoldering ashes left underneath.

Toph wandered off to the right, through a doorway and down a passageway that was unlit. He ran to catch up to her, his flame wavering in his hand. She stopped again, and he kept himself from running into her this time. She turned and grabbed his wrist. "Douse the flame."

"If I do that, how do you expect me to see?" He asked her as he extinguished the light and was engulfed in darkness. "I can't sense things out like you can."

Suddenly, he felt her fingers entwining themselves with his and she gave him a light tug. "Just hold onto me for now. I'm sure your eyes will adjust eventually."

He gave her hand a squeeze in agreement and let her lead him through the underground facility. If there had been light, he would have seen the earthbenders face turning a deep crimson. Likewise, if she hadn't been so busy finding her way; she would have heard the quiet sigh when she squeezed back. However, their minds were too preoccupied with liberating the children and not getting killed in the process.

Aang's eyes were finally starting to focus in the dark and he could make out the shape of Toph in front of him. He looked down at their hands, still entwined, and pulled away. He felt a little awkward now that he could see it and not just feel it. She paused as she felt his hand slip from hers, and then let it drop down to her side again a moment later. She turned another corner down a long straight corridor and spoke up. "I think I found them."

"Where are they?" He squinted, looking down as far as he could and thought he saw a faint glow of light at the end.

"This hallway splits right and left at the end. I think they're to the left…" She shifted her weight and felt again. "But I can't tell. There's someone either direction, only I don't know if they're the kids or a group of guards waiting to ambush us."

The airbender cocked his head to the side and listened, hoping that a sound, like a cry, might give them a hint. But the only thing he could hear was the sound of Toph and himself breathing. "We could split up."

"That could work. The only question is who goes what way?" She thought a moment before being struck with a good idea. She snapped her fingers when she thought about it and began rifling through her clothes for her pockets, leaving Aang to look at her with scrutiny. She growled. _Damn, I forgot they __**took**__ my other clothes. All my money was in there too!_ She reached out and nudged him lightly with her elbow, then held up her hand to him. "Give me a coin, any coin."

"What for?" He was confused, but obliged her anyway. She had gotten them this far unscathed, he might as well follow along with her scheme.

Toph flipped the coin in the air, and caught it, then slapped it over the back of her other hand. "Heads or tails Twinkletoes?"

"I really don't think it's time for your silly wagers." He began, before she gave him a well placed kick to the knee.

"I'm not playing around." She harrumphed. "Just pick."

He whined. "Fine. Tails."

"What's side is it?" She lifted her hand up off the coin and held it up to him. He lit a dim fireball on his fingertips and looked at it.

"Heads." He told her as he grabbed the coin and shoved it back into the coin pouch at his hip.

"I win." She said, a twinge of triumph in her voice. "I'll take the turn to the right. I'm itching for a good ass-kicking after everything tonight."

"So, I guess I'm going left then." He looked down at her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She nodded and made her way forward. He followed after her as they slowly approached the split in the passage ahead in the darkness. The dim light that he had seen earlier grew larger and brighter as they moved ahead.

Just before reaching the fork, she stopped him again and grabbed his right hand with hers and shook it strongly. "Hey Twinkletoes. Don't get yourself killed, okay? Sugar Queen will hate me forever if I let that happen."

"I haven't died yet." He knew she was joking. She never used nicknames if she were serious, but the fact that she made sure to say something about not dying meant she expected that to be a possibility. Without another word, she pulled chunks of rock from the wall so it covered her fists and arms up to her elbows. She took a deep breath and ran down the hallway to the right.

He watched as she disappeared down the short corridor and turned left around a corner before leaping into action and dashing down the left hallway. This path was straight, unlike the one his friend had gone down, and he could see the light falling through an open doorway from a room to his right. He slowed down as he approached, pressing himself against the wall that the door was on, and barely glanced inside. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the well lit room, but he smiled when he saw a tiny face peeking out between the legs of a guard.

The men and women who had been sent to keep control of the kids stood there idly, as if neither he nor Toph posed much of a threat to them. He peeked around the corner again, catching the eye of the child he had seen before. Quickly he signaled for him to be quiet and the child nodded, glancing between the Avatar and the guards. He whispered to the girl next to him, who in turn whispered to whoever was next to her. The whispering continued until the whole small group of children were all aware that Aang was there.

The huddled in on each other, obviously expecting him to perform some great feat to take out their captors. Aang pressed himself against the wall and began spinning a ball of air in his hands, condensing it into heavy air before whipping it into the room. The guards were distracted at the surprise attack and whipped around trying to locate the source. Aang bounded into the room and licked the guard's feet with fire, pushing them into a corner before bending water from a nearby vase and freezing them to the wall. Behind him the children cheered.

"Come on, we're getting out of here." He turned to the kids who were now rushing out the door. He scooped up one of the small ones in his arms and guided them back into the main passageway. He could hear the fight Toph had found herself in. The ground was rumbling and the kids were frightened, some clinging to his pant legs or to the older ones in the group. He heard a scream as the earthbender came rolling head over heels around the far corner and slammed into the wall. He rushed the kids around the corner where the hallway had forked and watched as his friend got to her feet as though the blow hadn't even fazed her. The pale dress she wore was torn and stained, and her hair was in disarray.

"Twinkletoes, get those kids outta here! They're collapsing all the tunnels and rooms down here!" She commanded, pointing at him and then to someone in front of her that he couldn't see. She smirked. "And you, you're next."

"Go!" He said suddenly, pushing the kids forward through the hallway. He whipped fireballs at every wall lamp he saw, lighting the path in front of them as they followed the twists and turns of the underground facility. Behind him, he heard a rumbling and turned to see Toph bounding after him. She slipped going around the corner and skidded on her knees.

"Are you okay?" He ran back to her, grabbing her under the arm and hoisting her up, pulling her after him down the hallway.

"Just dandy, but I'd really love to get the hell out of here before they bring this whole place down our heads." She smiled at him as they closed in on the crowd of kids ahead of them. She reached down and snatched a little girl who was lagging and threw her onto her back.

Aang put a hand on her shoulder blade and pushed her forward. "Lead the way."

She pushed around the group of kids, leading them forward to a set of tall spiraling stairs that climbed up into a dark room on the surface. She pointed up, directing the kids towards freedom. After the last of them had begun making their way up the stairwell, the two benders followed after. They emerged in a small back room with one window and a door that led out onto a high terrace that overlooked the back garden of the estate. Toph came up next to her friend as he looked out onto the estate. It was still crawling with people searching for them, but one small section of the garden was left unguarded.

"Now what?" Toph asked, readjusting the little girl on her back. They were up to high for her to be able to feel what he was seeing, and she was waiting for him to let her know what was going on.

The Avatar handed the boy in his arms to an older child, who looked at them both expectantly. He knew if they didn't move soon, they'd be caught. And as much as he liked Toph, he didn't want the earthbender haunting his future lives for the rest of eternity. He pointed towards the back wall, more for the kids than for her. "If we can get down from here, and squeeze past the patrols they have swarming the garden, there's a vulnerable spot at the far wall where no one has been guarding. After that, all we have to do is break down the wall and get the hell out of here. I'm sure with all the ruckus the city guard will have taken notice."

"You realize you're assuming that they aren't in cahoots with that Dragon guy who's running this operation." She shifted her weight around and tried to sense out how far they were from the ground. It was a reach, but she could feel the earth far below her.

"Well, let's just hope we aren't that screwed over yet." He told her, noticing she had a ponderous look on her face that he easily recognized as her hatching a plan. "What are you thinking?"

She held up a finger and spoke. "A set of rock stairs, pulled up here from the ground. We send the kids down first, and then follow, taking the stairs with us so we don't leave a trail."

"Okay, let's do it." He nodded and looked out at the ground below them. She took a stance beside him that he quickly mimicked and she counted out the steps.

"One." They squatted down, hands touching the floor, feeling for the dirt far below them.

"Two." They pulled their arms up towards their chests. The kids rushed to watch as the earth beneath them began to jut up towards them.

"Three." Both benders stood straight up, thrusting both arms in the air and the rock went flying up towards them, making a matching pair of steps form side by side.

"Pair up and line up." She commanded, as though she were instructing her pupils back home. The kids were silent, but followed the orders. She pointed down the newly formed stairs. "Get down as fast as you can, then wait for us at the bottom. But if you see someone coming, hide."

The kids filed down the stairs two by two, gathering at the bottom for their saviors. Toph went before Aang, waiting at the top of the staircase for him. "Are you coming?"

"You go, and I'll take my glider down. I want to make sure that its all clear for you first." She nodded and turned away, bending the staircase back down into the ground. Aang watched as she went down, and then scanned the gardens again before he snapped his glider open. Before he had a chance to go, someone came rushing out onto the terrace. Aang whipped air at him and knocked him down. The man whimpered and looked up at him.

"Aang, where are you? What's going on?" Toph called out from the ground.

Aang called back. "The delegate."

"Please, oh gracious humble Avatar!" Pleaded the man, throwing himself at Aang's feet. "My advisors have overthrown me and turned my own guards against me! Please, take me with you before they kill me!"

Aang glanced at the man, who had tears in his eyes, and pulled him to his feet. He wasn't about to trust the man as far as he could throw him, but there might be the chance that he was telling the truth. Without Toph to say for certain or not, he found himself in a bind. "What should I do with him?"

"Just leave him; we've got to get out of here!" She shouted now, and then began ushering the kids away towards the back wall. He looked and saw guards coming towards them as they disappeared down a trail before they were caught. He looked from Toph, who would look up at the sky as though she might see him coming, to the delegate sniveling at next to him.

"All right!" Aang was exasperated. "You can come with us, but I'll be watching you. _Got it?_"

Ling Dao Ren nodded his head as Aang grabbed him and threw him out over the edge, twisting the air around him to carry him down. Aang followed after, gliding down and following the path that his friend had taken. He and the delegate caught up quickly enough, as Toph was trying to manage handling all of the children on her own.

He could tell by the perturbed look on her face that she was none to happy with him at the moment either. "I thought I told you to leave him behind?"

"What if he was telling the truth?" Aang defended his decision.

"What if he's not?" She snapped back. "I thought you would have learned to listen to me by now."

"Can we not argue about this now?" He questioned. "I'd like to get out of here first."

"Fine, but you'll still lose either way." She answered, approaching the wall. The earthbender punched out with both arms, collapsing it out onto a side street. She ran forward and then jumped back, falling against Aang's chest. Before he could ask, a small group of guards swept in on them. Behind them he heard the shuffling of feet, and whirled around to see another group of guards flanking them. He and Toph stood back to back, eyeing them.

"You wouldn't happen to have a Plan B would you?" She asked him. The delegate, who had been quivering like a leaf that whole time, had moved in one them quietly and bound their hands together with rope. He started to laugh as they tried to pull themselves apart. Ling Dao Ren circled them like a hawk a few times, and the earthbender tried lunging at him, which only succeeded in nearly knocking both she and Aang down. She kicked at the Avatar. "I _told_ you to leave him behind!"

"I'm sorry!" Aang spat back. "I can't just leave someone behind so easily. I can't always tell when someone is lying to me like you can!"

"Awe, a lover's spat." Ling Dao Ren teased, and then waved a hand for his guards to tie up their feet as well before seizing the children they had just freed. "It was a fun game we played though. I do enjoy a little cat and mouse every now and again; however this little diversion of ours is over."

The delegate approached the Avatar, unafraid of him. "You were so intuitive about what was happening here, that might be due to your little earthbender there."

He waved a hand at Toph. Aang tried to kick at him, but the man backed away, amused. "If you're the one behind all this, then who is Dragon, or Dragon Line, whatever they call him?"

"I suppose I could tell you, since you won't be around much longer to tell anyone else." Ling Dao Ren chuckled in a way that made Toph want to gag. "I _am_ Dragon Line. You see, it is an anagram of my name, and it is legend in my family that we were descended from river dragons. So, I thought it a fitting name to instill fear into subordinates without risking my political title in the process. Ingenious is it not?"

"Definitely." Toph was being cocky. "I'm guessing that one of your little advisors had to think of it for you then. You don't seem the type to have enough brainpower for such creative names."

"Ah, yes, Miss Bei Fong." He grinned, circling around to her and pulling on one of the braids that still remained from her little makeover earlier that day. "You are certainly a feisty one. Not to mention quite becoming when you're _clean_. I'd keep you around as one of my concubines, if only I didn't think you'd kill me in my sleep first."

She spat at him and he tsked with disgust as he walked away. Now back by his guards he smiled at them. Aang wished he had use of his feet because he would have kicked flames at the bastard if he had the chance. He would have tried to burn through the bindings on his hands, but since he was tied to Toph, he'd end up burning her as well.

The delegate sighed, getting bored. "I do thank you for your visit but I'm afraid that it's time that you both die."

"Wait, aren't you even going to tell us why you are doing this?" Toph cut him off. "Why kidnap children and raise a legion of bandits. You hold a respected seat of power, why risk that for some unruly group of thugs?"

"Now, why do you care anyway _little girl_?" He laughed. "You're going to be dead in a few minutes anyway."

She scowled. "If I die, I at least want to know why."

"Him, no, I think I'll leave you guessing on that one." And then he waved his hands for his guards to attack them. Toph tried to figure out what they were going to do to them, in hopes she might be able to counter it, even with her hands and feet bound. The delegate seemed to notice the gears in her head turning and smirked. "Don't think that you can defend yourself. These particular guards aren't earthbenders. In fact, they aren't even from the Earth Kingdom at all. They are my special guards, highly skilled; the best the Fire Nation army could train. You see, they were a part of the colonists from Omashu, and were angry when they had to go home after all that hard work. But when they learned that the one who caused that was here, they were itching to take it out on your hide."

He began walking away, and then turned back to say more. "By the way, I hope cremation isn't against what you Air Nomads believe."

Ling Dao Ren turned away again, chortling as he walked behind the line of fire once more, his eyes filled with the desire to watch them burn. Aang shut his eyes and turned away, wishing that he'd listened to Toph in the first place. He twisted his hands around to hold onto hers, and was surprised when she tried to hold onto him too.

Toph was glad she could not see what was coming, and silently took back her vow to haunt Aang's future lives, when suddenly she became aware of someone new slinking around behind the delegate and his guards. She recognized the footsteps and smiled, turning her head back towards Aang so he could hear her whisper. "Get ready, help has just arrived."

He jumped when the firebenders shot the orange flames their way, hoping that Toph was right about there being help. He was relieved when the flames missed, shooting out over their heads as the guards fell over as the ground became craggy beneath their feet. A voice called out in frustration. "That was supposed to be a rock wall, not…not whatever that just was!"

He popped his eyes open and saw the young girl, Tamae, using the distraction to rush behind them, fumbling with the knots at their hands. She managed to free one of Aang's hands just as the guards prepared to fire on them again. Behind them Ling Dao Ren was irate, screaming orders to kill them all. As they sent the flames his way, Aang used his earthbending skills to shield them while the girl finished freeing them from their bindings. Toph sighed with relief when she had the use of her hands and feet again.

"I don't know about you Twinkletoes, but I've had it up to here." The earthbender raised her hand up over her head. "With all of the shit this guy and his thugs have put us through in the last few days."

"And right now I really feel like breaking some bones." She forced the earth up around her and crashed it down on the firebenders feet. They cried out in pain. Pulling a boulder out of a nearby garden, she hoisted it up over her head and kicked, breaking it into a thousand tiny shards of rock that sliced through their armor like paper. Aang knew she was intent on truly hurting these people. And while he was angry too, and all for taking them down, he did not want to do it in a violent manner. He restrained her until she calmed down a minute, and then looked to the guards and the delegate who stood frozen in fear behind them.

"You restrain the guards, I'll get the delegate. Just don't kill anybody." He spoke calmly, sweeping himself upwards on a draft of air, then down on the delegate who finally came to his senses and ran away. The Avatar pursued and managed to capture the man easily enough. Without his sentries there to defend him, he was little more than a weak man with evil in his heart. By the time he dragged Ling Dao Ren back; Toph had trapped the guards in a box of stone and was now talking with the city guards who had finally shown up on the scene to see what was going on.

She turned to him when she felt him coming with his feather light footsteps and smiled. She sauntered over to him and gave him a light punch in the shoulder. "That was fun, but lets never do it again."

"Agreed." He was exhausted and beginning to wonder why all the slime seemed to crawl out at night and bother him when he'd much rather be sleeping.

She smirked at his answer, and then bent down to the delegate, pulling on his scruffy beard in the same manner he had yanked on her hair. "So mister big bad Dragon, feel like telling me why you're doing this now?"


	7. Living A Delegate's Life

**Chapter Seven: Living a Delegate's Life**

Aang leaned against the railing of the balcony as the sun began to rise over the city of Qian. It had been a long exhausting night, but at least the cause of the problems throughout the region had been taken care of. He scowled just a moment, thinking of the delegate, Ling Dao Ren, or as he was known to the bandits: The Dragon Line. _What did he think he would possibly achieve by leading a group of bandits? He already has control of the region, aside from Omashu._ Those answers would be revealed soon, once Toph was done with the man. She had insisted on doing so, probably as payback to the comment the delegate had made about making her a concubine.

In the aftermath the city guards, who were not in league with Ling Dao Ren and the Bandits, had come to their aid to help round up the last few people who were siding with him. They, along with all the household staff, had been rounded up and one by one. Toph had questioned them on their loyalties. Those that had anything to do with the recent events were locked away in the city's prison. Many were people who held high positions within the delegate's cabinet. It disgusted him how much control the traitors had. The few staff that remained, mostly meager servants, cooks, and a few guards, were kept on to maintain the estate. A small contingent of city guards were assigned to protect the estate until the delegate was replaced and new guards were hired.

As for the children; they had been set up in rooms throughout the estate and over some time, all of their names would be taken down and somehow they all would be returned to their parents. For those without anyone, he was determined that they have a new family to go home with. There were enough orphans in the world after the war ended, there didn't need to be any more because of some gang of thieves.

He closed his eyes and let the sun warm his face before he turned to go back inside. Two guards standing in the doorway bowed to him as he passed. His eyelids felt heavy and a large yawn escaped his lips as he walked by the plush bed, eying it longingly. He peered out into the hallway, looking towards the closed door of the room next to his, where it had been set up for Toph to sleep. He couldn't tell whether or not she was back yet. The guards followed him, and he turned to them. "Has Miss Bei Fong returned from interrogating the traitor yet?"

"Not yet Avatar." One replied respectfully, and then extended a hand inside, towards the bed that he was once again looking at. "Perhaps you should lie down and get some rest. I will make sure that you are informed the instant she returns."

"No, I will wait." He said wearily, shaking his head and closed his eyes again. He brushed past them and flopped into an overstuffed chair by the door. _There is still so much to do._ His mind wandered a bit, still taking in everything and hoping whatever news he got from Toph would not add to their troubles. He shut his eyes for just a moment and then he was gone.

* * *

Toph paced in front of the pathetic man in front of her. He was bound to the wooden chair with leather straps. The bulky guards at the door saw nothing but a calm smirk on the man's face as his eyes followed the young earthbender around the room. But they couldn't feel how fast his heart was beating, or the faint quivering of his knees. _He's nervous. Good. That makes it easier to break him. I don't want to be stuck here any longer than I have to._ She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms, scowling. "Tell me why you enslaved those children! What purpose is there in a man of your power doing such things? What more is there for you to gain?"

"Maybe if you ask more _nicely_ I'll tell you _little girl_." Ling Dao Ren's smirk deepened and he eyed her perversely. She growled, feeling his eyes on her and kicked him square in the chest, knocking him backwards so that he and the chair hit the ground with a resounding thunk. She was tired of his cat and mouse game. It was getting them nowhere and she was already grumpy from a lack of sleep. It was not wise to agitate a tired earthbender. She snapped her fingers and the guards set him up right again.

She was fired up now, her temper boiling that she had to clench her teeth from pummeling him. She approached, putting both of her hands around his bound wrists and shoving her face into his. Her voice dripped venom. "Tell me _now._"

"No." He laughed, trying to bite her with a loud snap of his teeth. She backed away just in time. She let out an exasperated growl and threw her hands up in the air. She would get an answer, one way or another. The delegate chuckled, proud that he was getting her worked up. He wasn't afraid of her. She was a young, tiny, fragile, _blind_, noble girl who thought she was indestructible. Just because she has spent a few short seasons with the Avatar as a child didn't mean could do anything to him now. She acted tough, but he doubted she had it in her to do anything that might truly hurt him.

She paced around again, this time behind him. He heard the scraping of metal against stone and turned his head as best he could to see behind him. The earthbender was dragging a small table from the corner of the interrogation room across the floor, pulling it up next to the chair he was strapped into.

"Plan on serving me tea and cake? I am a bit parched, and it is so _good_ to see you fulfilling your womanly duties." He enjoyed being condescending to her. It irked the insipid tomboy to no end and if he had to be thrown in a prison for the rest of his days, he at least wanted to go out with the upper hand against the damn girl who had helped put all of his plans to ruin.

"Un-strap his right hand." Toph barked to the nearest guard, pointing in the delegate's general direction.

"Miss Bei Fong, I wouldn't advise such a thing…" Began the guard, before she raised a hand to silence him, an unhappy look on her face at the way he had disobeyed her.

"Do it now." Her voice was more commanding now and he rushed to follow her orders. "I want answers from this traitor and I will get them however I see fit."

She walked over to the wall to one of the unlit metal sconces and bent pieces of the metal away, twisting it around in her hands. The delegate caught his breath in surprise, as did the guards. It seemed that they hadn't heard of her ability to bend metal or at least had brushed it off as an exaggeration. She sauntered over to Ling Dao Ren, a pretty smile on her face as she grabbed his free hand and slammed it down onto the metal table, strapping it down with the piece of metal she had taken from the sconce. She flicked her head up, looking in his direction with her blind eyes. She felt him shiver under her gaze. "Let's play a game."

"I didn't think of you as the kinky type." The man licked his lips seductively, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. The words were enough. She reached out and cuffed him upside the head for his comment. Then, without pause she turned away again and flicked both hands in front of her, palms facing the ground. With a jerk she brought a heavy square stone from the floor up out of its place and dropped it hard to the floor in front of him.

"Here's the rules of the _game._" She said in a sickly sweet tone of voice. "Every time you don't answer the question I ask, I'm going to take this lovely piece of earth and use it to break some of your bones."

Ling Dao Ren's eyes went wide and she heard the guards hold their breaths. They didn't expect this of her. She may be a little rough around the edges, but wasn't one to resort to unnecessary violence. But he had pushed too many of her buttons within the span of the last twenty-four hours. He had cleaned her, tried to have her killed, kidnapped children, threatened her, and now, when she was ungodly tired, he saw fit to taunt her. It was not a smart thing to do.

However, after the initial shock, he regained his composure. He chuckled at her. "So you're going to break my hand with that block. Now what would the Avatar think of that? I'm sure he wouldn't approve of torture."

She grimaced. In her exhaustion she hadn't thought of that. If Aang ever found out he'd never forgive her. He didn't condone violence in the least, unless absolutely necessary. _What he doesn't know won't hurt him._ She thought, brushing it off, but the feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach began to eat at her. Hopefully if her little method worked, she wouldn't have to harm a single hair on the delegate's head. Maybe the threat would be enough.

"Tell me why you are doing this." She told the man, holding the stone steady over his hand. She heard him gulp and inhale deeply, and she was sure he would answer her right away.

Ling Dao Ren cocked his head to the side and responded firmly. "You'll have to break my hand first."

She was irked now, and sighed in disgust. "Fine, have it your way."

With a fluid movement of her hands, the stone rose up from the floor and over her head. She guided it with a perfect sweep of her arms so that it loomed over the hand she had strapped to the table. The delegate was watching it hang in the air nearby. Behind her, one of the guards had to leave the room. She cocked her head to the side. "Last chance."

"No way." He replied, enunciating each word, but held his breath when she shrugged and lifted the stone higher, until it almost touched the ceiling.

Without a word she let it drop and the delegate jumped in the chair, turning away. She was dead serious and suddenly all of his audacity left him. "Stop. Stop. STOP! I'll tell you what you want to know!"

She caught the stone seconds before it crushed his hand, leaving it hanging within inches of the back of his hand. She smiled, and could smell the salty tears that were now streaming down his face. "Good. Now spill or we repeat that little stunt."

"I was trying to garner a better position than just a mere delegate. I was trying to be a king." Ling Dao Ren started, freely giving her details without her having to ask the questions again. "Children are susceptible to falsities. They were easy to lure away."

She listened carefully. He was telling the truth. "What were you going to be king of?"

"Omashu."

"How were you going to do that?"

"It was part of the arrangement I had with our leader. The ingredients for the poison we make are rare to find throughout the Earth Kingdom. Also, we were in need of new recruits. What better way to build an army than to strip people of everything and then promising them riches in return for helping you?" "Once our army was strong enough, we would descend upon Omashu, as well as other larger cities in the world, and overturn the government. I guess you would call it a coup. For my part in this I was promised the seat of King Bumi."

"Do you really think it would be that easy to overthrow an entire world government? Go against the Avatar, the Dai Li, and the Fire Nation Army, all of those people? And then you expect the common folk to listen to you?"

"That is the other purpose of our group. Make the people dissatisfied enough with the current leaders that they will openly welcome a revolution. They've suffered from enough tyranny. First from the Fire Nation, now from the penny-pinchers on the Council. Jobs are scarce, people are hungry, and the only people benefiting from it are the wealthy and the powerful. When things like that happen, it makes people willing to do almost anything."

"When was this coup planned for?"

"No set date was given. All I know is that I would receive a letter with details within days of the intended coup. Of course, word of what has transpired here has likely reached our leader and things have undoubtedly changed."

"How were you going to manage such a thing? The cities are well guarded and, since the end of the war, have become well trained with how to defend themselves from outside attack. And even if you manage to make it inside, the leaders know how to quash any disturbances with ruthless swiftness."

"That's why we will take over from the inside. Do you think we don't have other people, like myself, promised powerful positions in exchange for their support? People who have gained the trust of their communities, who work for those we plan to overthrow. I don't know about the rest of the cities, but as for Omashu, the plan is to steal King Bumi's crown from under him. Take it from him while he is out of the city. Now you know everything I know. Are you satisfied _little girl_?"

"You are a bunch of bastards. Get him out of here!" She yelled, disgusted with the man. The remaining guard untied him from the interrogation chair and hauled him out of the room. When it was empty she let the heavy stone fall to the floor with an echoing thud and fell with a heavy sigh into the vacant chair. _I almost couldn't stop that stone from crushing his hand._ She was utterly exhausted and used the last of her strength up. The young earthbender wasn't even sure she could carry herself back to her room. She could barely keep her eyes open. She slumped over to the side and propped her feet up onto the table.

Toph was so tired, she didn't notice that the guard, the same one that had rushed out during her threat, scuffle in. "Miss Bei Fong?"

"Mm?" She grunted in response, furrowing her brows.

"The traitor has been put into a cell until his punishment is announced. And since he was the last to be interrogated, I came to see if you needed an escort back to your room." The guard shuffled from one foot to another and waited for her answer.

"M'kay." Toph spoke quietly, eyes drooping open as she rolled herself into an upright position again, before extending an arm in front of her. "Give me a hand up, will ya?"

The guard rushed over. "Of course."

She felt the guard grab her hand strongly and pull her to her feet. She wobbled a minute, but fixed her stance and waved a limp arm out in front of her. "Lead the way."

The faint chink of metal on metal made her aware that he had nodded before he began walking out the now open door. She took a step to follow, but her legs gave out from underneath her and she slumped to the floor. However, the earthbender managed to catch herself on the doorframe before she completely collapsed. The guard had rushed back to her side and pulled her back up to her feet. She brushed him off before he could say anything. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

The guard was silent, but backed away and began to walk forward again, this time more slowly and paused a few feet away to wait for her. She straightened herself up and tried to take a graceful step forward, but only managed to crumple to her knees, bracing herself with her hands. The guard was once again at her side, helping her up. She scowled, but conceded. "Fine, help me."

"Yes ma'am." The man finally spoke. He wrapped an arm around her waist and grabbed her under her knees with the other. She grabbed him around his neck as he slowly lifted her from the floor. Her cheeks grew red with embarrassment and she was completely glad there was no one she knew here to see her in a moment of weakness as the guard carried her through the estate to her room.

* * *

Aang snorted awake when he heard the low voices of one of the guards speaking to him and gently jostling him out of his sleep, and then realized he had dozed off at some point. He straightened up in the chair he was in and rubbed his eyes with both hands. He hadn't understood what the guard had told him. "What is it?"

"We just had word that the earthbender has finished her interrogations." Came the reply.

Aang nodded and pushed himself out of his seat and stretched out. He was still tired and his little nap had done nothing to abate it. He yawned and blinked a few times to get the sleep from his eyes. He turned to the guard who had woken him. "Is she in her room?"

"Yes, but…" Was all the guard was able to get out before the Avatar brushed past him and over to the door. He slid it open and peered out, seeing a lone guard standing vigil outside her door. He stepped out of the room and slid the door shut behind him. In a few short steps he was at her door and opened it without another thought. The guard had turned to stop him, but he was already inside.

"Toph?" Aang called into the dim room.

"Shh!" Her voice called out to hush him. He squinted and tried to find her. "Tamae is sleeping."

He glanced to the bed, which was occupied by a sleeping girl. _I thought she had her own room?_ He thought for a moment before he caught sight of her against the far wall of the room, untying the obi at her waist. She let it drop to the floor. He took a step forward and stopped as her dress piled to the floor at her feet. It was then that he noticed that she was all but naked, save but her under things. He coughed uncomfortably and turned around quickly.

"Don't be such a prude." She spoke quietly. "If you're so set on marry Katara, you're bound to see a naked woman _eventually_."

"But, still, ah…" he sputtered, shuffling from one foot to another.

"Okay, okay, don't fret Twinkletoes." Toph chuckled. "I'm _decent_ now."

He slowly turned around again, both eyes closed, and popped one open to look at her. She was standing in the same spot as before, but now she was tying the sash of a long robe around herself loosely. She talked to him as she pulled the last of the doodads from her hair, letting it fall naturally. "What do you want that's interrupting me from getting undressed and going to sleep."

"How did it go with the delegate?" He asked her. "Did you get the answers out of him?"

"Yes." She said with a long exhausted sigh. In the bed, the young girl made a quiet noise and rolled over. Toph wearily waved her arms towards the door. "Let's take this outside so we don't wake her up."

The earthbender had all but forgotten that she could barely stay standing, let alone walk, until her legs buckled beneath her as they had in the interrogation room. She let out a quiet gasp that Aang barely caught and she dropped to her butt on the floor. He turned back to her and in one long stride was picking her up. His voice was full of concern. "What's wrong? You can't even walk."

"I'm just tired is all. In fact, I was surprised to hear you up and around next door. I'd of thought you'd been asleep for a while now." She told him as he let her use him as support to walk. He knew her too well to know that she would hurt him if he tried to carry her in his arms. He was quiet until they were back in his room and had let her fall onto his bed.

"I was waiting for you. I wanted to know what you found out." He answered finally as his friend propped herself up with a pillow. He dropped himself back into the chair he had slept in earlier.

She closed her eyes for a long moment and then opened them again wearily. The young woman waved her hand around in the air and spoke slowly through a yawn. "I found out some really important things from that traitor. For instance, there's this plan to overthrow Omashu, and the other world capitols."

"What?" Aang said, now more alert than he had been, and sprung up from the chair.

"Yea." She yawned again and closed her eyes. "Apparently he's just a small player in a much bigger game. The bastard thought he was going to get to be the next king of Omashu and whatnot. Said that they had people on the inside that would take Bumi off the throne."

Aang was pacing the floor now. "How?"

"Something about a coup while he was out of the city. It's all kind of hazy right now. Maybe after I…get some sleep." She faded out as she drifted in and out of sleep.

Aang hadn't noticed. He was still pacing, but now thinking intensely about what had to be done. He had assumed that this would all end in Qian. Now it seemed he had something very serious on his hands, and it made him angry. Even thought the summit meetings were horrible, he at least thought some progress was being made. Now it seemed that while he was busy solving disputes between stuffy representatives, the real world needed him once again. "We have to do something…get back to Ba Sing Se before…"

He had turned back to the bed; to see what Toph was thinking, only to find her slumped over in the bed, sound asleep. He chuckled. _She definitely has the right idea. Too bad she fell asleep in __**my**__ bed and not her own._ Very gently, he walked over to her and pulled the covers back, sliding her down in the bed and covering her up. He yawned, though he tried to fight it, and dropped down onto the bed next to her. _I at least want to lay on it once before I go sleep in that damned chair again._ He sighed and closed his eyes, imagining that he was back in Ba Sing Se, in his gigantic bed, where he didn't have to worry about assassins and bandits, and the greatest concern was how long the council members were going to bicker during the next meeting. And then, before he could catch himself, he began to drift off to sleep once more.

-_A Few Weeks Later_-

Aang sat on a chair, with Momo perched on his shoulder, on a patio that overlooked the back garden of the delegate's estate, arms crossed grumpily as he watched Toph and her newfound student, Tamae, practicing bending maneuvers. In lieu of returning to her mother, the girl decided to stay and help how she could. She had provided excellent insight into some of the inner workings of the Black Band Bandits. The elder earthbender heard him harrumph and get up again to pace around the perimeter of the estate, much to the agitation of his lemur, as he did at least once every day for the past two weeks. _Still in a mood I see, eh Twinkletoes?_ She smirked and turned to Tamae. "That's good enough for today. Go write a letter to your mother before she starts worrying about you, you haven't sent one in a while."

"Yes Sifu!" Tamae bowed to her and bounced off into the estate. Toph felt her footsteps fade and then plopped down onto the grass to pick at her toes. Momo proceeded to resume his perching on her shoulder now. By her calculations, the two had been stuck in Qian nearly three weeks, with no hopes of getting to leave anytime soon. What had started out as an endeavor on Aang's part to reunite all the children with their families had become too strenuous, even for the almost ever-cheery Avatar.

All of the names of the children were written down, as well as where they came from. If it was a village that had been destroyed, they asked about where their families might have gone. After that, word had been sent out to the families of those children, as well as a list of names was sent to some of the closest major outposts, including Omashu. Within a few days, there were dozens of families flocking to the city for their children. It had seemed hopeful that by the next week all of the kids would be back where they belonged. However, that task was not as easy as it seemed. There were more children than they had anticipated. Several, in fact, were not in the group that they had rescued from the underground, but were those who had either escaped from the Bandits and were unable to find their families on their own or were newly found in other workhouses throughout the city. They seemed to come out of the woodwork. What had started out as a few dozen kids soon became over a hundred of them. And each wanted to be reunited with their families.

On top of that, Aang had sent several letters to Ba Sing Se, Omashu, and other fairly large settlements nearby in hopes that there would be someone to relieve him of his duty in Qian. No word had come back yet. He was antsy to return to Ba Sing Se and make a battle plan against the Black Band Bandits. After what she had told him that morning after the interrogation had kept him up pacing at night for many nights, and so kept her awake as well.

If that wasn't enough, he had also assigned a group of volunteers to go through the hundreds of scrolls and papers left in the delegate's office. He didn't expect to find anything monumentally important. He hoped to find out a few more clues behind the Bandits motivation to hold a coup. As well as anything else that might be useful in forming a defense against them. It stressed Aang out, and her too since she had to deal with him more than anyone else. It made her irritable, especially since she hadn't had a decent night of sleep since Ling Dao Ren was arrested.

And as she thought about that night, she also began to think about waking up the next day in his bed. Of course, she had been the only one in the bed when that happened, but for some reason it felt as though she had not spent the night alone. It kind of freaked her out too, that she had been that vulnerable. That he might have been able to slip right into the bed next to her and she never knew it. Aang wasn't some kind of scoundrel, but she had always been wary of men ever since the suitors started forming a line at her door. The earthbender grimaced and tried to pull her thoughts away from that subject, but only got drawn back in when she thought about "The Kiss" as she had dubbed it, that he had pulled on her that night as well. The memory replayed in her mind again.

She made a disgusted face that quickly faded. As much as it creeped her out to think about it, it wasn't all that bad. Aang was sweet as he had ever been, and it wasn't like it had meant anything. Still, she felt her face flush every time she thought of it. She needed some female advice on it. And unfortunately all of the people she knew with any expertise on the matter were back in Gaoling.

"What're you thinking about that's got you scowling like that?" Aang's voice suddenly spoke out. She almost jumped up, but caught herself. It was enough to make him chuckle at the knowledge that for once he'd gotten the jump on her. He joked as he scooped the lemur off her shoulders and into his arms. "What's the matter? You didn't even hear me coming. I think somebody is losing her touch."

"Hardy har-har Twinkletoes." Came her sarcastic reply. "You are _so_ hilarious."

Aang dropped down onto the grass next to her and she punched him in the shoulder. He laughed again. She scowled at him. It irked her that her abuses no longer bothered him. He flopped onto his back and frowned. "Have any letters come from the other cities yet?"

"For the third time, _no_." Toph said with a sigh, leaning back. "Just relax, somebody will show up eventually."

"Yea, but how long will that be? We have a real problem on our hands here." He grumped. "Somebody is trying to overthrow an entire world government and we're just sitting here on our duffs."

"I thought you wanted a vacation from all of that anyway? Quit complaining." She told him gruffly. Every day was the same thing. If he didn't stop being so irritable she was going to bury him.

"Not when I know there's something like that going on." He replied, crossing his arms defensively, disturbing the lemur once more. Momo chittered at him and wandered off to find a more suitable napping spot.

"Yea, well you always overworked yourself." She rolled onto her stomach and propped her head up on one hand. "I happen to like it here. I wake up when I want, eat what I want. There aren't any idiots trying to get me to marry them. I can do anything and everything I want without having to worry about it. I could almost get used to being a delegate, except that I hate politics. I thrive on living randomly. Doing the same thing _every day_ back home was driving me stir-crazy. And, I bet I could whip the guards' sorry butts into shape."

"Really?" She had piqued his interest, which she welcomed in exchange to his constant badgering about getting out of the city. "What about the academy and all of your friends back home? Wouldn't you miss them?"

"Oh, yea, sure I guess. But they always knew that I never intended to run the academy as a permanent gig." Toph replied. "If I could, I'd travel everywhere and teach earthbending to everyone, not just some snotty nobles. But, a girl has got to eat."

"I thought your parents were really wealthy?" Aang pondered. "I have a hard time believing you don't have any money."

"My parents _are_ wealthy. _I_ am not." She answered honestly with a slight shrug. "When I moved out at fifteen, they cut me off. They thought it would get me to come back. Of course, it didn't work. Now I won't see a single coin from them until I'm married or both of them have died. Since neither of those possibilities is likely to happen anytime soon, I survive by charging the other noble families in Gaoling a fee to teach their daughters earthbending."

Aang looked over at her and saw the faint scowl on her face. "Why would they do that? I thought they loved you?"

"Who knows what they are thinking. They always were a little screwy." She told him and moved onto a different subject. She hated talking about her past. "And anyway, wouldn't you rather be a delegate and oversee one city than be the Avatar and have to be the leader of the entire world?"

"Sometimes I think it would be easier, but then I think about all the good things that happened because I was the Avatar." He told her, his voice more chipper than it had been in a while. "For instance, I'd have probably perished with the rest of my people. The Fire Nation would have taken over the entire world. I wouldn't have any of you for friends. And most importantly I would have never met Katara. I wouldn't trade a thousand normal lives for that."

"Bleh." She frowned and stuck out her tongue. "I don't want to hear about your lovey-dovey feelings for Sugar Queen."

"Sorry." He apologized. Toph perked up after that and sat up normal again, turning her head in the direction of the open doorway that led into the estate. "What's up?"

"One of the guards is coming this way." She answered nonchalantly, hopping to her feet.

"I'm sure he's _just_ making his rounds." Aang said, slight perturbed. The guards came and went like that. After the first week they had already learned that the news he really wanted to hear was that there was word from one of the major cities. Anything else got relayed to Toph to relay to him. He knew better than to be cross with her.

"No, it seems like they're planning on coming to talk to us. They're walking with importance." Toph flashed him a playful smile and threw her hair over her shoulder as she walked in the direction of the guard who was just emerging from the doorway. "Maybe they've got a letter from Ba Sing Se."

Aang stood up and followed after her, watching as she and the guard exchanged words. The man handed his friend a scroll. She smiled sweetly at him, and turned back to the airbender as he came up beside her. His eyes glanced from her face to the scroll in her hands. "What's it say?"

He reached out to take it from her, but she snatched it away from his grasp. She opened it and began to walk away. "It says: Dear Aang, I think you're an idiot. Love, Sugar Queen."

"Toph! It doesn't say that! Let me see!" He pounced at her, but she jumped away again.

"Yea, well I can't believe you actually asked me what it said. I mean, seriously?" She told him, finally holding the scroll out to him. He quickly grabbed it from her before she stole it away again and mumbled an apology under his breath. He unrolled the scroll and read its contents aloud.

_Dear Sir,_

_Your children, Setsuko and Yul, have yet to be harmed, but if the monthly payments are not made on time, drastic measures will have to be taken that could result in the death of one or both of those children. Do not make us take this course of action. The instructions for the next money drop are as follows:_

_-Make payment in the form of coin only. No more of your wife's baubles._

_-Put the money in a small wooden box and seal it with a red ribbon marked with your family's seal._

_-Have on of your servants take the box through the north gate out of Rangsen and travel on foot for one league._

_-Instruct the servant to wait there until someone comes to relieve them of the box._

_-Do not tell anyone about this or send someone to rescue your children. The result will be their deaths._

_-Failure to comply with any of these demands will result in the death of your servant and the injuring of one of your children. Once the full 200,000 gold coins have been paid to us, we will return your children to you. In the meantime we will give your children the best possible care._

_Until the next payment is due,_

_The Dragon Line_

Aang noted the name signed at the bottom and a wax seal of a dragon next to it. He was expecting this to be a letter from Ba Sing Se, or even Omashu. _What's so important about this letter?_ He rolled up the scroll and approached the guard. "What is this?"

"Sounds like a ransom note to me." Toph replied bluntly before the man could speak.

"I know that, but why are you bringing it to me?" He asked, handing the scroll back to him. "We already knew they were taking kids from their families."

"You wanted to be informed of anything that might give you insight into how the Black Band Bandits function, sir." The guard bowed to him. "It seemed important."

Aang relaxed and dropped himself into a nearby chair. "I don't see how."

Toph cleared her throat and turned in his direction. "That's what I thought too, but think about it Twinkletoes. Now we know how they make their money."

A look of realization washed over his face as he replayed the letter in his head. "Yes, I see it now. They've been blackmailing rich families into funding their crimes. Well, I'm sure the family has already reclaimed their children, so I doubt we'll have to worry about them giving the Bandits any more money."

"Actually, Avatar, no noble families have come for any children yet. There have been a few who were a bit better off, but most have been peasant families." The guard spoke up. "And certainly none of the ones that I have seen could afford their own servants, let alone be the target for such a large ransom. Also, we don't have any children by those names here."

"Then that letter must have been an old draft or something." Toph chimed in.

"No, it was stamped with a seal and looked pretty recent to me." Aang informed her.

"Then the bastards must have killed them or something." Toph sighed and scratched behind her ear. She shrugged her shoulders when he gasped in disgust. "I mean, speaking from experience, any family that wealthy would be the first ones here to get their kids. Probably because they broke the rules. Nothing stopped my parents from sending those fools Xin Fu and Master Yu to bring me home after you "kidnapped" me even though they knew you were the Avatar."

"Still, to think they would kill children…" He trailed off.

She let out a long sigh and crossed her arms. "Would it make you feel better if I went and asked Tamae about it, maybe see what we can find out from the other kids?"

"Do you think she would know about that?" He asked.

"Who knows?" She told him. "But it can't hurt to find out. I'll go chit chat with her. You go mingle with the other munchkins."

* * *

Tamae sat at a large desk, carefully writing out a letter to her mother, when Toph wandered into the room. The young girl heard the door open and looked back to see the older earthbender. She smiled. "Sifu! I finished my letter. Should we go send it now?"

"Not right now." Toph replied, plunking herself into a plush chair nearby. "I've got to ask you something real quick."

"Sure." Tamae scooted away from the table to let the letter dry some more, and so she could face her sifu.

"The Avatar wants to know about a couple of kids that Ling Dao Ren had here." She reclined in the chair a bit and continued. "They might have been held for ransom."

"Oh, I know about them." Tamae answered without reluctance. "They were here for a while, but not as long as I was. They belonged to some really rich family from a nearby village, I don't remember which."

Toph cocked her head to the side a little. "Do you know what happened to them? Did they go back home, or something else?"

"They didn't go back home, I know that." Tamae furrowed her brows, thinking hard. "It was a while ago, an' I only ever saw them once or twice. But I think they're still here somewhere."

"Do you think that if we visited the other kids, you'd be able to tell which ones they are?" Toph stood.

"I don't think it'd be a problem." Tamae replied in a bubbly voice, hopping to her feet. "They were really young too. I think one of them was just a baby."

"Well, then they should be easy to spot. I doubt Ling Dao Ren kidnapped many infants." Toph stood and stretched out, putting a hand on Tamae's shoulder as they walked out of the room towards the wing of the estate designated as a play room for the children whose parents hadn't come for them yet. It was easy to reach, and the expansive estate wasn't as difficult to navigate as it been when they were first there. Of course, spending three weeks there had helped.

They rounded a corner that opened up into a large arched doorway. A lone guard stood at the entrance. She bowed to them as they approached. Toph smiled and put a friendly hand on her shoulder. "Is the Avatar here?"

"Yes ma'am." The guard replied in a pleasant tone. "He's with some of the children. They really seem to like him."

"That's because he's nothing but a big kid himself." Toph joked as the wandered in. Tamae spotted them in a far corner and tugged on the other earthbenders sleeve.

Aang sat in a pile of pillows with a small gaggle of children around him. Their attention was on the small body perched in his lap. It was a small girl with curly brown hair tied up in pigtails. She had to be no older than Sokka's son. There was also a baby with a tuft of jet black hair sitting at his feet, playing with his shoe. The airbender was trying to get the little girl to speak to him, but she kept her mouth clamped shut, giving him a large pout. Aang sighed and tried again. "Can you tell me your name? If you tell me your name, I can take you home. Wouldn't you like to go home?"

"Has adult conversation gotten boring for you Twinkletoes?" Toph joked, squeezing through the group of kids. He looked up when he heard her voice, tired of attempting to get a name out of the girl. Tamae picked up the baby, who was now trying to chew on Aang's shoe, and cradled him in her lap.

"She won't talk." He told the older earthbender as she sat down next to him. "But these two are the only children whose names we haven't gotten, so they have to be them."

Toph chuckled, and grabbed his head to give him a noogie. "I wouldn't talk to some weird bald guy either."

"Hey!" He feigned insult. The crowd of kids had begun to disperse now that Toph was there. They realized that the fun of seeing the Avatar try to get a toddler to talk was over. One of the children called to Tamae, wanting her to play with them. As she stood, she plopped the baby into her sifu's lap. Aang giggled at the horrified look on her face when the heavy bundle landed in her lap.

She carefully picked up the boy and held him out, her voice cracking. "What the heck am I supposed to do with this? I am so not playing the mother here."

"It's only a baby. It's not like he's going to hurt you." Aang said in a childish voice that made the girl in his lap smile, which was the only response he'd gotten out of her yet. The baby also giggled and grabbed at the young woman's bangs, pulling hard.

"Ack! What is with kids and pulling my hair?" Her face contorted into an even more horrified look than before. She thrust the baby at him, pushing the child into his arms. "Take, take, take!"

"Jeez, calm down." He said in a gentle voice as he tickled the baby's tummy. "He was only playing."

"Did I or did I not mention once before that kids are annoying." She scowled, crossing her arms.

"Tamae's a kid." He pointed out.

"Fine, little kids are annoying." She said. "Babies especially. Horrible little monsters. All they do is eat, poop, and throw up on you."

Aang joked. "What, don't you want to be a mom someday Toph?"

She thought about it a minute and replied. "No."

"I hear motherhood is very rewarding." He continued to pick at her. "I'll bet you'll change your mind eventually."

"Not likely." She enunciated each word and crossed her arms unhappily.

By now, the little girl had crawled from Aang's lap and had circled around Toph, investigating her. The airbender had watched casually, waiting to see what she would do, and how his friend would react. He found her dislike for small children hilarious. The girl stopped in front of the earthbender and put her small hands on the woman's knees. He saw Toph tense up when she touched her. The little girl stared up at her a minute before crawling up into her lap. The young woman groaned and tried to set the child back down, but the girl simply got back into her lap again.

"Well, you may not like kids, but they sure like you _Aunty Toph_." Aang spoke in a sing-song voice.

"Oh joy." Her response was less than enthusiastic. The girl was now standing in her lap, putting her face right in Toph's. She looked at the earthbender a moment and reached out to grab her nose. Aang chuckled.

"Pretty." The girl said, surprising Aang when she spoke. He smiled at the girl and took her from the earthbender, against much protest.

"So you can talk." He spoke softly to her. "So tell me. Are you Setsuko?"

The girl pouted and began to cry, reaching out for Toph. He finally let her pull herself back over to the woman, and the tears stopped. Toph frowned. "Why me?"

"Like I said, kids like you." He restated, making her frown deepen. "See if you can get her to talk."

"Do I have to?" She said with a whine, pulling the little girl from her face once more and set her on the ground. She pouted and squirmed to get back into her lap, but kept getting blocked.

Aang crossed his arms and smiled. "Yes."

"_Fine_." Toph sighed heavily, and conceded to let the child return to her lap. The girl squealed happily and threw herself into Toph. Making the girl sit down on her knee, she lowered her face to her level, pointing to herself. "Toph. Toph. Can you say Toph? Hm?"

The girl gave her a look like she was thinking about what was being spoken to her. It was a subtlety that the young woman did not see. After a moment she threw herself into the earthbender again, giving her a hug. "Toh."

"Close enough." The earthbender praised, and then pointed to the girl. "Who are you?"

"Setko!" She replied cheerfully.

Toph smiled, satisfied with her progress. "There, she talked. We done?"

"Ask her who this is." Aang told her, plopping the baby back into her arms. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Before she could ask, Setsuko hugged the baby and kissed him on the head. "Yu!"

"Oh goody, we found them. Woohoo." Toph announced with false enthusiasm. "Now remove them from my person and send them home to mommy. Tamae says they're from a city called Rangsen."

"We don't even know who their parents are. How are we supposed to send them home?" Aang retorted, smiling at the children.

"I don't know. Just have them knock on every door of every wealthy family. Eventually they'll find someone whose missing a couple of pipsqueaks." Toph was getting irritated, and rubbed the bridge of her nose, pushing both kids back into his lap before she stood up. Setsuko whined and grabbed at her pant leg. The earthbender bent down and pointed at Aang. "Avatar. Avatar. Can you say that?"

She gave her another puzzled look that she couldn't see and answered sadly. "Ta-tar."

"That's right, Tater." She said, detaching the child from herself. "He's going to make sure you go home to mommy and daddy, ok? So be good and don't whine."

With that, she left her friend to deal with an unruly toddler that didn't quite seem to like him, and wandered into the crowd of children who were playing a board game. She found Tamae along the sidelines, watching the game play out. She tugged on the girl's collar. "C'mon. I need you to do something for me."

"Okay." The younger earthbender replied sadly, glancing back at the game as she followed her teacher out of the play room. They wandered back to Toph's room, and the earthbender thumbed towards a desk that sat at the far end of the room. Tamae scratched her head. "I already wrote the letter to my mother."

Toph heard the confusion in her voice, as she dug out a sheaf of paper and some writing supplies from a cabinet. "I know that kid. I need you to write one for me."

"Can't you do that…" Tamae began, but halted when she remembered that her teacher was sightless. Her voice took on meekness. "Oh yea. I forgot about that."

Her teacher chuckled. "It's okay. People tend to do that. I get around a lot better than most blind folks."

"I suppose you do. It always seems weird when you ask me to read something to you, and then I remember. It's the only time I ever notice that you are blind." Tamae carried on, taking the items from her teacher before sitting down at the desk and poising herself to transcribe the letter for her.

The young woman smiled. She really liked this girl. She reminded her of Miyu when she was younger. Miyu often forgot about her blindness as well, and blundered about when she realized the mistake she made. It was exactly the same, and Toph found it endearing. It also made her miss everyone back home. While she wasn't willing to admit it, she longed for the advice of Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling, and Miyu's humorous antics. She frowned for only a moment, and caught herself as she began to dictate her letter for Tamae. After it was written, they retrieved the letter for Tamae's mother, and sent them on their way. Tamae's to Omashu and Toph's to her friends in Gaoling.

* * *

"You have to go with the nice lady." Aang told Setsuko, unfastening her from around his leg for the third time. She let out a loud shriek as he tried to hand her to the frazzled young guard who would be taking them home. Her fussing upset her brother, who was now screaming at the top of his lungs. The Avatar groaned as the little girl pulled at his clothes in attempt to stay with him.

"TAA-TARRRRR!" She bellowed, tears streaking her cherubic face. In the few days that had passed since he'd separated her and her brother from the other children, she'd grown very attached to him. She'd also grown fond of Toph, who stood far back on the sidelines, holding her ears to block out the noise of the screaming. She was an unwilling participant in this little show, having been roused from her sleep much earlier than the norm in order to help him wrangle the little girl, who was hell-bent on staying in Qian with them. He tried to hand her over to the guard once more, but the little girl bit her instead, leaving marks.

The guard finally rushed past in tears, handing the infant to Toph as she passed her. She turned at the door and bowed to the bewildered young man. "I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry. I can't handle all of this screaming and biting. I just can't."

A moment later she disappeared around the corner and the earthbender could feel her fleeing as fast as she could from that part of the estate. The baby in her arms stopped crying and a moment later he was asleep. She frowned. Aang slumped into a nearby chair and brooded while Setsuko wiped her face on his robes. He sighed unhappily. Toph chuckled to herself and laid Yul down on the bed, before wandering over to where he was.

She loomed over the back of the chair, leaning against it. "This is just _so_ much fun. Tell me again why I should have some of my own."

"Your sarcasm is not appreciated right now." He spoke flatly, pushing the girl away from him towards Toph. _I'm starting to understand her dislike for small children now._ He buried his face in his hands and harrumphed.

"I told you they were annoying, but like always, you never listen to me." She stated cheerfully. "When will you learn that I'm _never_ wrong?"

"Okay! You can stop now." He grumped. "Maybe instead of nagging at me, you could find a way to get these two to go home with someone without Setsuko dismembering them along the way, _oh wise all-knowing one._"

Setsuko latched herself to the earthbender now, fussing until the young woman picked her up. She nuzzled her. "Toh."

Toph sighed. "Unfortunately, they seem _**way**_ too attached to us to want to go with anyone else."

"Well, it's not like we can take them." He brushed the idea aside. "We can't leave Qian without leadership, and there hasn't been any word from any of the larger cities. I mean, the only possible way is if I stayed here and you took them home."

"_Hell no!_" Her voice went up an octave. "This is one earthbender who refused to be a babysitter. They like you too you know. Why don't I stay here and you take them? I can run a city."

"You said it yourself: you hate politics. Remember?" He was against the idea as well. Besides, he wasn't so sure that Setsuko would let that fly anyway. _She wouldn't even let Toph go sleep in her own room the night we found them._ He remembered how she had a fit when the earthbender had walked out of the room. She had to wait until the girl fell asleep before she could slip out unnoticed. Of course, it was even worse in the morning when she found Toph gone when she awoke. The next night she wouldn't sleep unless the young woman was next to her. And of course, she repeated the same thing when he tried to go as well. So they found themselves sleeping in the nursery; Toph with the toddler attached to her arm, and he in the very uncomfortable chair that he now sat in. It was starting to feel like they were her parents, and the idea horrified him just a little.

"What politics?" Toph retorted, pulling him from his thoughts. "All you do is skulk around in the hallways and badger the guards about any notices from Ba Sing Se or Omashu."

"I do more than that." He defended. "I have to deal with distraught parents, assign duties to the guards and staff, and in the past three weeks I've been here, I've had to be the judge for countless debacles that have been brought to me."

"Fine, so you do something other than mope." She retorted. "I can handle all of that stuff."

"Well, well, well…" He stammered, crossing his arms. "Well, I don't want to be alone with them, okay!"

"Neither do I." She flopped to the floor, resting her cheek against her hand. "I don't do the mother thing. Never have, never will. That was Katara's specialty."

"Yea." He said sadly. "If she were here, she'd know what to do."

"So, what do we do now?" Toph asked.

He thought a minute and frowned. "Wait until someone shows up for them or wait until they send a replacement for the delegate."

"Oh joy." Her sarcasm rang through loud and clear, showing her agitation with the situation.

* * *

It was mid-dinner, and neither Aang nor his companion were very hungry. He watched Toph push her food around on her plate absentmindedly. He glanced down at his plate, which he had barely touched. This was one of the few child-free moments that they had in the past few days. He had passed them off to a nanny to feed and take care of them for a while, which took forever just to convince Setsuko that they would be back later on. Now their end of the table was filled with the dread of dealing with them again. He loved kids, but he had never met one quite as fussy as that little girl. He had great admiration for her parents, and great pity if little Yul grew up to be just as picky as she was.

Next to him, Toph sighed and picked up a chunk of rice, and then paused for a minute. She sat up straight and craned her head towards the door. He glanced back behind him, trying to see what she had either heard or felt. He glanced back to her and she was smiling. It was a bit of a mischievous grin, laced with glee. He could see her pearly teeth peeking out from between her lips. He nudged her with an elbow to get her attention.

She looked in his direction, and set her chopsticks (which had since dropped the rice she was going to eat) down on the table. She playfully punched him in the shoulder. "I think the cavalry has arrived.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked as she suddenly stood up and disappeared out onto the veranda. He sputtered and jumped up after her, following her outside and down across the yard. There were still a few glimpses of daylight left, and in the fading glow he saw what looked like a guard leading two figures away from an air balloon. "Are they the replacements for the delegate?"

"I dunno." She shrugged. "Could be, I can't tell who they are from this distance though."

He squinted and tried to focus on the two people approaching. They looked vaguely familiar and as they drew closer he was able to recognize one of them. He raised an arm and waved, and both waved back. He quickened his pace, but Toph beat him to them. At some point she must have recognized their footsteps. She smiled to no one in general. "Heya stretch, what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"Toph, Aang!" Ty Lee's bubbly voice replied as she embraced them both, and then giggled. "It's so good to see you both!"

The young man with her reached out and gave Aang a hearty handshake. "Long time no see."

"Haru?" Toph queried. Haru smiled and gave her a bear hug, lifting the small young woman clear off the ground.

"Good to see you." He said.

"Why are you two here?" Aang asked again.

"I've been in Omashu ever since we shipped those assassins off to be sentenced." Ty Lee explained as they all turned to head back onto the veranda. "I and a few other of the Kyoshi Warriors stayed behind to testify against them."

Haru interrupted. "And I happened to be serving as one of the judges when they arrived. She and Suki told me the whole story, and how you two were headed here to sort things out with the delegate."

Ty Lee gave him a look and he quieted down. "Suki was expecting to hear something from you, but she never received any word. She sent me a letter a couple of week ago about how worried she was. I told her that the trials were pretty much done with, and I'd come by here before returning home."

"But then I heard from some of my friends that are members of King Bumi's court that the delegate had been arrested on charges of treason against the Earth Kingdom. He was getting ready to go to trial in Omashu about the same time as Ty Lee was getting ready to come here." Haru butt in again. His companion sighed and conceded to let him tell the rest of the story. "Nobody was really sure on the details, and I was due some time off. So I offered to accompany her on her trip here to fish out some details."

"And here we are!" She grinned again. "Ready to help however we can."

"Well, since you mentioned it." Toph began. "Twinkletoes here has been trying to get the heck out of here for weeks, but he can't find anybody to be the head honcho."

Ty Lee gave her a puzzled look. "You didn't notify anybody?"

"I did, but no response ever came back." Aang sighed.

"That's very strange." Haru said thoughtfully. "Many of the letters that have been sent from Omashu to Ba Sing Se have gone un-responded to as well."

"That's why I need to get back to Ba Sing Se as soon as possible." Aang explained. "I've been stuck here dealing with things, but it's crucial that I get back."

"Well, I'd be happy to stay here and manage things for a bit." Ty Lee offered.

"Really?" Toph chimed in. "You might be here a while."

Ty Lee glanced over at Haru and smiled. "That would be fine. Suki is staying with the others until Sokka and his crew return, and they still have to visit other ports in the Fire Nation and the Northern Tribe."

"Excellent." The earthbender smiled at them. "Then we'll leave as soon as possible. We've just got to make one little pit stop in Rangsen beforehand."


	8. Who They Met In Rangsen

**Just a before chapter note: Chapter Theme Music!**

**I actually have a playlist for this story, that inspires the way it flows.**

**So, in a maybe-maybe not permanent thing, I'll try to add a song that heavily influenced the chapter.**

**For this one (you'll understand why near the end) I recommend listening to:**  
**Burn It To The Ground by Nickelback**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Who They Met In Rangsen**

It was late in the morning when Aang decided to set out for Rangsen. He had let Toph sleep in, knowing that she might be more willing to deal with children if she was fully rested. In the interim, he briefed Ty Lee and Haru on the process in which they were reuniting the children with their families. There were maybe a dozen left, and many had received word that their parents were coming for them, but some were coming from as far as the northern coast of the Earth Kingdom. He also made them aware of what to look for if the Black Band Bandits resurfaced in or around Qian, and how to deal with them. Both were adamant that they could handle whatever problems might pop up and that they would continue to relay reports to Omashu and to him in Ba Sing Se.

Since then he had roused his friend from bed and had her help him pack their things. She took it in her usual stride, making jokes and poking fun at him when she got the chance. He took it all in ease, glad that he had found at least a few moments of stress-free time during his little trek. Of course, that was coming to a screeching halt once he got back to the city. He could even imagine the wave of advisors and representatives that would swarm him once he returned. But, he tried to push that to the back of his mind for now, knowing it would do him no good to mull on it and make himself irritable.

Now he was making sure Appa's saddle was securely attached to his furry friend. Satisfied that it was soundly in place, he twisted the air around to easily deposit their bags into the saddle. He then whirled himself up, and tied them down so they wouldn't blow away mid-flight. During all of this, he made the occasional glance towards the earthbender, who had conked out for her after-breakfast nap. She slept serenely on a hay pile, one arm under hear head. Her other arm was draped over the back of the baby, Yul, who was sleeping on her chest. At some point, the nannies had brought Setsuko and her brother out to the stables. In the midst of packing, she opted to let him do the rest and flopped down into the hay pile. The little girl went off to play with Momo and somehow the baby had ended up with her.

He had been too busy brushing down Appa to see, but now that he watched her, she looked remarkably calm for a woman with such a strong aversion to infants. In fact, it seemed almost natural for her to have that baby with her. He smiled to himself as the image of her as a mother popped into his head. _As much as she protests to motherhood, it looks good on her._ Katara had always been the mother figure of their little faction back at the end of the war, but he always saw qualities in his friend that would make her an excellent mother. She was bright, humorous, and the fact that she could tell whenever someone was lying was a skill every mother would want.

He finished tying down their bags, and hopped out of the saddle. He patted Appa and nuzzled him. Setsuko had his poor lemur cornered in an empty stall, enthusiastically patting him on the head. Momo was less than thrilled with this and tried to escape her grasp when he saw Aang approaching. However, she had claimed him as her new toy and lunged for his twitching tail. He screeched and hopped away just in time, skittering up on Aang's shoulder and glared at her suspiciously. Setsuko just smiled up at the Avatar and his lemur, holding her hands up to him to let him know she wanted to be held. He obliged her and held her in his arms, with Momo now leaping away from him towards the bison.

He wandered over to his friend cautiously, kneeling down by her side. "Toph, time to go."

Her eyes popped open a crack and she spoke groggily. "Already?"

"Yep, let's get going." He answered, standing back up. She stretched out, cracking her neck, and began sitting up. She pause a moment, surprised by the extra weight on her chest. Once she realized that it was the baby, she scowled. She then discovered that he was sleeping and she looked a bit more relieved.

"What is he doing sleeping on me?" She inquired quietly, standing up in the most uncoordinated manner he had ever seen. She was trying her damnedest to keep Yul asleep for as long as possible. She already realized it would save her much undue stress. Though, how easy it would be to keep him sleeping once they were airborne, and once his sister found herself contained to such a small area like Appa's saddle, was yet to be seen.

"Dunno." He answered, lifting himself up into the saddle with Setsuko. "I wasn't paying attention."

"Lot of help you are then." She joked, adjusting the baby in her arms. "Gods he's heavy."

Aang smiled and was struck with a brilliant idea. He set the toddler down in the saddle and produced a blanket from their things. He hopped down to her and made a makeshift sling that made it easier for her to carry him. When he was done, he stepped back to admire his handiwork, and realized that she had baby proofed herself. Her long hair was bound up in a high ponytail with her bangs held back by one of her classic headbands. She had avoided any glitzy armbands too; save for the one made of meteorite that she had kept with her ever since their time in the Fire Nation. But that was well hidden under the elbow length sleeves of the short dark green kimono that she had hap-hazardously tucked into a dirty pair of calf length brown pants that he had sworn he had seen her wear at least twice in the past week. Of course, he too had done the same, donning long black pants and short-sleeve yellow tunic with an open vest that was an odd shade between brown and orange that had been a gift from Sokka for his last birthday.

She shrugged her shoulders, which he took as a sign of approval from her. She sighed. "Just tell me again why _I _have to watch the pint-sized terrors."

"Are you trying to tell me that you've become an expert at _flying_ a bison now?" Came his smart-aleck reply. She scoffed waited for him to lift her up into the saddle, since her ability to climb in herself was hindered by the tiny bundle sleeping soundly against her. He made his way up into the saddle, lifting her up.

"No." She answered gruffly, careful not to wake the baby. "I'm suggesting we walk there instead of flying."

Aang frowned, despite the fact she couldn't see it, and sighed loudly to display his disapproval of her proposition. "I'm in a hurry Toph, and walking would take too long."

"Of course you are Twinkletoes." She flopped down into the saddle, her lap quickly invaded by the toddler. "In a hurry to get away from Ba Sing Se; in a hurry to get back there. I'm sure Sugar Queen will be anxious to see you though."

"I suppose." He mused. In all the chaos of the last few weeks, he hadn't really thought about her. And now that Toph had mentioned her, he found himself mulling over it as he jumped over to Appa's neck and led the bison out of the stables. _What has she been doing? Did Sokka give her my letter? I hope she's doing okay._ He frowned at his thoughts as they emerged from the stable into the bright mid-morning sunlight. "Appa, yip yip."

The bison took a huge leap and sprung into the sky in a smooth motion. Soon they were soaring high over the city. They weren't airborne five minutes when he heard a gagging sound from behind him. Then Toph's voice cried out. "Oh gods."

He chuckled and called back towards his friend. "I thought you'd gotten used to flying by now."

"That's not me Twinkletoes." Her exasperated reply drifted over on the wind. He glanced back just in time to see her hoisting the toddler up over the edge of the saddle before she vomited on her. When she was done, Setsuko dropped back down into the saddle next to the young woman and wiped her teary and puke covered face on her pant legs. Toph's face was unreadable, probably trying to hide her disgust. "This is going to be a really long trip."

"Well, you'll be fine as long as she doesn't throw up on you." He teased. "And look, you've found someone else who hates flying just as much as you do."

"Oh shut up." Toph complained, dislodging a chunk of rock from her toes. She whipped it in the direction of his voice, but the chunk was too small to go very far and got caught in the wind, whirling away back down to the ground below them. After that she ignored him for a while, but he was still entertained by the commotion that continued behind him. More than once his friend had to hoist Setsuko over the saddle to throw up, after which she repeated the pattern of wiping her face somewhere on Toph. The earthbender had yelled at the little girl only once, and sent her into a fit of tears that in turn woke up her baby brother, who joined into the screaming. From then on she had to deal with an airsick toddler and a fussy infant. Momo, ever wise, had kept himself either situated next to Aang, or coasting along on the breeze nearby.

Eventually, he decided to stop the chaos, half worried the earthbender would hurl herself off of the bison just to escape the children. They cruised over a forest that opened up to a river and he had Appa land on the embankment. Behind him he heard Toph sigh with great relief. He grinned to himself and turned back to her. "Lunch break."

"About damn time." Toph nearly launched herself off of the bison and onto solid ground. Plopping down in the grass, she gnawed on a piece of jerky that she had pulled from her pocket. The baby in her arms was not nearly as relieved by all of this as she was, and began to cry. She held him out to Aang, who was rescuing Setsuko from the saddle where the young woman had left her before she plummeted out. "What does he want now?"

Aang shook his head and dropped to the ground next to her. "He's probably hungry."

"Well feed him a piece of jerky or something already." She set the baby into her lap and shook a piece of the dried meat at him.

"Babies don't eat jerky or any solid food really." Aang told her, cutting an apple into wedges and giving some to the toddler that kept trying to snatch a piece from him. "They don't have any teeth."

"Well, that what _can_ he eat." She was getting irritated now, he could tell because her feet were twitching underneath her, and if she were standing, she would be tapping her foot. He'd now been around her so long he was able to pick up on such subtleties. Whether that was a good or bad thing though, he wasn't sure. "Well?"

"Most babies Yul's age usually eat, or drink rather…eh…you know…" He sputtered and coughed a few times, nervously rubbing the back of his neck and waving his other hand around in the air. He continued quietly. "Milk."

A look of complete and utter horror crossed her face. Her next instinct was to crisscross both arms across her chest defensively. Her voice was at least two octaves higher when she next spoke. "Do _I_ look like his _mother_?"

"That's _totally not_ what I meant Toph!" He defended when he realized what it sounded like he wanted her to do. He fumbled with the bag of food and goods that had been packed for them. He was sure the nannies left something in there for the baby. He sighed in relief when he found it. "Here, give him this."

He handed her a bottle filled with some kind of milk. She sniffed it briefly before popping it into Yul's mouth. It appeased him and she finally stopped twitching her feet. "What is that stuff?"

"Buffalo yak milk." He told her. "I think. Anyway, he seems to like it."

"That's always good." She replied, and he thought he saw a small smile on her face. "This motherhood stuff isn't as hard as people make it seem. In fact, it's kind of nice. Plus he'll probably doze off again after this. Nothing like a good meal to induce midday napping."

She was smiling even wider now, not realizing it, and that made him smile as well. He knew this was going to be a good experience for her. After all, he doubted she'd be unmarried forever. She was even engaged once before. It was bound to happen again. It's not like she was completely intolerable to be around. He cut up some more apple as he watched her, sharing it with Setsuko, who ate it happily. When she was done, the toddler tottered off to pet Momo, who had thought himself safe when he curled up to nap with the sky bison. He watched as she followed the lemur around, and then turned his attention back to Toph and the baby. She had finished feeding him, and he sat cooing in her lap.

"He's smiling at you." Aang informed her as the baby turned to look up at her.

"Really?" She picked him up and bounced him on her leg a little, making him giggle. She smiled broadly and tweaked his nose. "You're pretty okay kid."

Aang turned away to check on Setsuko, who had finally fallen asleep next to Appa. In the few moments that he had looked away, her brother, shook up from being bounced, spit up his lunch all over Toph. The young woman made a disgusted noise before hoisting the infant away from her, holding him as far away from her as possible and deposited him straight into her friend's lap. "That is so _gross_. First his sister, now him. What's next, is the lemur going to upchuck on me too, because that would just be _so_ perfect to add to my collection of toddler snot and half digested buffalo-yak milk. I'm all for being a little dirty, but this is _ridiculous_! Oh gods, it's in my hair!"

She tossed her hands in the air in slight frustration, cringing at the smell. The airbender laughed; he couldn't help it. Her face was a mix of disgust and insult, as though the baby had done it just to cause offense. His laughter, however, didn't help the situation. His companion gave him a growl and jumped to her feet, storming off towards the bison, but not before launching a palm-sized rock into the back of his head. The humor of the situation quickly died and he was left with a lump. He called off to her, trying to irk her just a little bit more. "He's just a baby you know; you aren't supposed to shake them up like you did."

"Thank you for that wonderful piece of insight now." She stated sarcastically. He chuckled again and flopped onto his back in the grass, resting the baby on his chest. He tilted his head far back and watched her, upside down, as she mumbled curses to herself and rummaged through her bag. She pulled out what looked to him like a bar of soap and a towel. He watched as she stormed off over to a large rock near the shore. A moment later her dirty pants went flying back towards the bison, followed by her shirt, and then her headband.

A moment later he heard splashing, and her grumbles about how cold the water was. He sat up in surprise. "Are, are you _bathing?_"

"Unfortunately. Just my hair though." She scoffed from the water, and then whipped the bar of soap into her messy pile. "It gets messy enough on its own. I don't need puke and spit up making the tangles any worse than they already are."

"It's just sort of, really _weird_." Aang was left dumbfounded, especially after the rant she gave that first night in Qian, after the delegate had her snatched and taken to a bath house.

"Tell me about it." She emerged from the water after this, the long towel wrapped around herself. She had wrangled her sopping wet hair in her hands and was wringing it out as she continued talking. "This is the cleanest I've been since I lived back home with my parents."

Toph then grabbed a brush and ran it through her dark hair as it hung over her shoulder. Satisfied with it, she whipped the locks back over her shoulder and turned to him, pointing in his direction with the brush. "Close your eyes."

"What for?" He asked.

She crossed her arms and glared in his direction. "Because I'd like to get dressed without you ogling my goods."

"I wouldn't do that." He got defensive, but shut them anyway to oblige her. "I've never done that."

"You little liar." He heard the rustling of her clothes. A moment later she was looming over him. When she spoke again he wasn't sure if she was mad or flattered. "You so have."

He ducked his head down, expecting to get conked on the head. She laughed. "Don't worry; I won't hit you this time, you big baby. Just keep your eyes to yourself from now on eh?"

Then she knelt down and punched him twice in the arm. He whined as she snatched the baby from him and walked away. He bended himself up ahead of her, carefully lifting Setsuko from where she slept, and hoisted himself into the saddle. "I though you said you weren't going to hit me."

"That was for flinching." She explained nonchalantly, settling the baby into the makeshift sling and gathered her clutter from the ground, tossing it haphazardly up into the saddle at him. He ducked out of the way to avoid being showered by her things. He rested the little girl up against a soft blanket and tied up her strewed belongings.

From below she cleared her throat once to let him know that she wanted him to help her up. He reached out and lifted her up, carefully setting her down into Appa's saddle. She settled herself down near the toddler, so as to ready herself should she rouse from sleep needing to throw up.

"Well, looks like we're all set." Aang spoke softly to Toph as he checked the bags tied down to the saddle, making sure they were secure. He brushed by the earthbender and tousled her hair.

She growled at him. "Let's just get out of here before she wakes up."

"Okay, okay." He chuckled to himself. "We're going."

* * *

Toph shuffled up next to Aang, adjusting the baby in the sling and making sure she didn't lose the grasp she had on Setsuko's hand. She sighed unhappily, which only earned her a scowl from the airbender, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "You're able to come up with all of these strategies and plans on that Council of yours, but you didn't bother to come up with a plan for this, eh?"

Aang rolled his eyes. This was the third time she'd mentioned his inability to plan ahead for a situation like theirs. He had thought it would be simple, finding Setsuko and Yul's parents. _They were nobles...how was I supposed to know there were SO MANY noble families living in Rangsen?_ Now it was getting close to suppertime. Toph was irate and hungry, and wanted nothing more than to be free from her temporary mommy duties. He groaned, approaching another of the tall embellished gates that was the entrance to yet another estate. A whole section of the city was designated to the nobles, and estate after estate sprawled across several acres of countryside. "I'm _sorry!_ You'd think that it wouldn't be so difficult to find a family missing two young children."

"Still," She began, finally picking up the toddler, who was dead set on escaping her hold, and handed her to Aang. "I am _never_ going to just go along with one of your 'plans' again."

He grumbled and held the girl with one arm, and knocked loudly on the door with his free hand. He turned to her as they waited for someone to answer the door. "Nobody forced you to 'just go along' with it. You could have helped out, threw in some ideas, then spending 75% of your day napping or eating."

"Why I ought to…" Her voice had a growl in it, and she was tempted to slug him, but changed her mind at the last second as the gate swung open and a servant peered out at them.

Aang didn't even have time to speak. The servant, a middle-aged woman with brown-black hair, gaped at the sight of the group standing there, her green eyes widening. A moment later she had ushered them through the gate, talking at a fast pace. "Thank the gods someone has brought the children home. My master and his wife will be overcome with joy. Please, please come in."

Before they knew it, the duo was being led across a grassy courtyard and through a massive archway that had the family name carved into the wood. He read it as they passed by. "Fang Shi?"

Toph, who had been keeping the pace with him, slowed and he could see her posture stiffen. "What did you say?"

"Fang Shi?" He repeated, looking at her curiously. "I think it's the name of the family that lives on this estate."

"Perhaps." She remarked coldly. She had caught back up with him, but something was not quite right. Her casual, and slightly miffed expression from only a few moments ago had changed. Her eyes were distant, like she was recollecting a memory, and her mouth was set in a thin line. And then she brushed past him so she was almost on the servants heels.

They were led through bulky front doors and down a long corridor into the main part of the building that was set to receive guests. The servant briefly motioned to the plush chairs set up in a line along a wall to her right, before rushing through a doorway and around a corner. Aang sat down, setting Setsuko in a chair next to him. The earthbender, however, stood as though she was standing on pins, shuffling her feet and sighing impatiently. Finally, she dropped the baby into his lap and paced about a bit. He tried once to ask her what she was so on edge about, but she almost growled at him before he could get very far.

A few moments later, a noble woman, dressed in only a long pale green dressing gown, a robe loose over her shoulders came rushing through the doorway. She was distraught and her face was a mess of tears and unkempt hair. She collapsed in front of them, embracing her daughter and crying loudly. "My children! My babies! Thank the gods! I thought you were gone forever."

She wept and wept, holding them as if they would disappear in a cloud of smoke if she let them go. She kissed their faces and held onto them tightly. Aang smiled; glad he was able to bring relief to an obviously grieved mother. He glanced at Toph, whose face reflected great disdain. She wasn't focused on the event unfolding in front of her; rather her attention was on the doorway. He looked where she was watching and saw the servant returning.

Behind her, the master of the house followed, reacting much more coolly to the situation that his wife had. Aang stood as the man approached and bowed to him. He smiled and motioned for the servant to take his wife and children back into another part of the estate. Finally, he spoke, his voice cheerful as he bowed deeply back to the airbender. "Honored Avatar, I am indebted to you, and am eternally grateful to you for returning my children back home. When we had lost contact with the kidnappers, we feared we had lost them."

"It is an honor to restore your family to you, Master Fang Shi." Aang replied. By now, Toph had edged her way behind him, and had turned herself away from the conversation.

"Please allow me to invite you and your companion…" The master glanced behind him to see who it was, and Toph briefly turned her face to him, and then away again. "To…to…to stay and dine with my wife and I, and room for the night if need be, as thanks for what you _both_ have done for us."

"We'd love to stay." The earthbender finally chimed in, grabbing Aang by the arm. "_But_, I'm afraid the Avatar has other pressing engagements that he has to see to back in Ba Sing Se, so we really don't have the time for such frivolities."

She tugged on his arm and tried to walk away, but he pulled lose from her grasp. "There's no need for such rudeness Toph. We were going to have to stop and rest at some point tonight. We might as well take accept the kindness we've been offered here."

Toph grasped at him again and pulled him aside, talking quietly to him through clenched teeth. "But I _don't_ want to stay _here_ tonight."

"Why not?" Aang was getting upset. He disliked her little mood swings, and he was a respectful person, and her behavior was giving the master the wrong interpretation. "What reason could _you_ possible have for wanting to pass up a free meal and saving you from having to cook on a campfire later on?"

"I _can't_ stay here." She said very clearly. "Not in this house with _him_. You should understand why."

"I don't understand, so maybe you should explain it to me." He was exasperated at this point. "You've never met this man, so what grudge could you possibly have against him?"

"You really don't know, do you?" She said, relaxing a bit, her expression softening. "I suppose it has been a while."

"_What_ are you talking about?" Aang was getting irritated.

"Yasuo." Toph spoke quietly, the words falling heavily from her mouth. Aang blinked a moment, and finally looked back at the man, who stood waiting for their response, his hands clasped behind his back. The airbender took a good look, and the realization dawned on him. It had been a few years, but this was the same young man whom Toph had with her at Sokka's wedding. He had changed from the image of the spry young man he had only briefly encountered.

He was looking a little worn, likely aged from the duties of running a household and raising two young children. _More mature_. Aang acknowledged. He reminded him of Toph's father, wearing the elegant robes of a noble man, his short black hair perfectly groomed and the start of a mustache on his lip. He was also much more reserved than Aang recalled, but then again his memory of the man was vague at best.

"Your ex-fiancé?" Aang queried. She only nodded.

Behind them Yasuo cleared his throat. The two finally turned back to him and he approached them. He looked to Aang and then to Toph. "Please, Avatar…Toph, stay. Please?"

Aang noticed how her name caught painfully in the man's throat, and he glanced from his friend to her former lover. _She said they split up. I assumed it was a mutual parting. Was I wrong?_ Toph sighed heavily beside him and rubbed the bridge of her nose, letting her hair fall over her shoulders to shroud her face.

"Fine. We'll stay. For one night and in the morning we leave." She conceded bitterly, not wanting to delve to deep into why she was offset about the idea of sleeping in his house. Aang, ever the problem-solver, made a mental note to ask her about it later, maybe in a few days when she was less likely to backhand him.

"Excellent. My wife will be pleased." Yasuo said, and motioned for the doorway that led into the rest of the estate. "Follow me and I'll have a servant prepare rooms for you."

"We weren't planning on staying, so our belongings aren't with us." Aang explained. "So we'll need to get them before we settle in, maybe change out of our traveling clothes."

"No worries my friend. We will send for everything, your bison included, but in the meantime, you both may borrow some clothing from my wife and I. I insist." Yasuo told them as he led them into an expansive great room filled with plush seating, with a wall of books and scrolls at one end. Aang waited for some response from Toph. She was never too thrilled to be 'dressed up' by someone else. However she was remarkable quiet, following silently behind the two men.

Yasuo encountered a manservant on his way to the kitchen, and requested that he have one of the maids ready two guest rooms for them. He then excused himself to see to his wife and children, and Aang was left alone in silence with the earthbender until they were whisked away to their rooms.

* * *

Aang examined himself in the full length mirror by the door. It was a forest green tunic tucked into tan pants, with a gold and green vest over top. Over that was a long open robe in varying shades of green, embellished with the symbols of the Earth Kingdom along with the Fang Shi family crest. The clothes he wore seemed awkward and unusual, likely because they were not his own, because it was in Earth Kingdom colors, and because it was entirely too dressy for him. But Master Fang Shi had insisted, and Aang didn't want to cause any more tension than there already was.

As it was, he hadn't heard a peep from the young woman whose room was directly across the hall from his own. This was unusual since he had seen women, likely some of Lady Fang Shi's handmaidens, flocking in and out of the room for the past hour at least. And they came with clothes that seemed no less ornate than his own. It surprised him that the earthbender hadn't catapulted them out of the room yet, screaming complaints at being shoved into a dress and having her hair messed with. In fact, it was almost too unusual, and it made him worry more about what truly happened between his friend and the master of the house.

A knock at the door pulled him from his contemplating. He slid it open to see the manservant from earlier waiting outside. The man bowed respectfully to him. "I've been asked to escort you and Miss Bei Fong to the dining room. Dinner is ready to be served."

"Of course." Aang said, stepping out and shutting the door behind him. The handmaids had stopped rushing back and forth now, and the corridor was empty of anyone but himself and the manservant. "Let me see if she's finished dressing."

The manservant nodded in response and waited as the airbender crossed the hallway and rapped gently on the door. A moment later a young woman peeked her head out, and quickly squeezed out. She bowed to him. "Miss Bei Fong is just finishing, she'll be out momentarily."

"Thank you." Aang smiled as she disappeared back into the room. He heard muffled voices and the skittering of feet before the door opened again and a gaggle of handmaidens rushed out and back to their other duties. Once they cleared, Aang could see the outline of a lone woman sitting on a pillow on the floor. She turned her head towards him as he shuffled his feet, and stood. In the dim lighting of the room, she looked almost like a spirit, but as she approached he could see her more clearly, and she seemed just as awkward in her borrowed clothes as he did.

The dress she had been lent was incredibly long on her, so much that it dragged the ground and trailed behind her as she walked, and the sleeves had to be cuffed more than once to keep it from falling over her hands. And it was obvious that the lady of the house had not only been much taller than Toph, but wider in the hips because of the gawky way it puffed out from beneath her obi. What surprised him though, that while Lady Fang Shi was tall and wide, she must have also been impossibly small-chested, because the top of the gown barely fit around her bust, revealing part of her underclothes and her prominent cleavage. Aang felt his face redden.

"Quit staring." Toph finally spoke; brushing some hair from her face as she came up beside him, then crossed her arms over her chest.

"Who's staring?" He turned his face away quickly. He expected her to slug him after her comment from earlier that day when she had accused him of "ogling her goods."

She sighed and brushed past him. "Whatever."

He quickened his pace to catch up with her as the manservant led them into an elegant dining room, intimately set up for the master, his wife, and their guests for the evening. Both stood when he and Toph arrived, and he had to stifle a laugh when he realized that Lady Fang Shi was several inches taller than her husband. He could see her more clearly now. She wore a fancy dress, with an open robe over top, and was bedecked with jade jewelry. Her hair, which had been messy and unkempt when they arrived, was now neatly brushed, but styled in a way that it looked like she had two floppy ears on top of her head.

She smiled broadly and bowed to them before approaching Aang, taking his hands in her and kissing them. "Thank you so much for returning my babies. And excuse my distraught behavior from earlier."

"It is quite understandable." He comforted, letting her lead him to the table. Behind him, Yasuo had offered an arm to Toph, which she had ignored and seated herself instead, dropping gracelessly next to him at the table.

After they were all seated, Yasuo commenced with introductions. "You already know me. So, this is my wife, Mien Lo."

"And, my dear, this is, of course, Avatar Aang. Next to him is his friend and traveling companion, the honorable Toph Bei Fong. He motioned across the table, first to Aang, then to Toph as he introduced them to his wife. She seemed just as uncomfortable as her husband when the earthbender was mentioned, but stayed silent. Dinner, a meal with numerous courses ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other, went off without a hitch. Aang had tried to make conversation, but while Yasuo and his wife tried to contribute, Toph sat languidly beside him, staring at her plate, but barely touching the food laid in front of her.

After dinner, the Fang Shi's led them out onto a spacious covered veranda where they could chitchat and enjoy a cool breeze to save them from the late summer heat. Yasuo then insisted on sharing some sake with them in attempts to lighten the less than amicable atmosphere. Aang drank only one cup. His no longer so recent foray with Toph into the world of alcoholism had turned him off to alcohol entirely. However, it seemed that the earthbender and her former fiancé had no qualms about speedily finishing one bottle of sake. Not satisfied, they tapped another bottle and continued their binge. Aang had noticed as Mien Lo had silently slipped away from it early on, and he was of mind to do the same, but he found he couldn't. Something nagging at the back of his mind told him to stay, just in case his friend decided to come to fisticuffs with her ex. _That would be totally like her too._ Aang mused, requesting water from a passing servant, who was already replacing the second bottle of sake.

He turned his concentration back to Toph and Yasuo, finding himself in the midst of a heated argument. Yasuo downed his glass of sake in one shot, and pointed crossly at the young woman across the table. "I told you that I had an obligation to fulfill my parents' wishes to take control of my father's business dealings and secure the proper lineage to ensure a strong family line. If you didn't let that go through one ear and out the other, you might have understood."

Toph growled so loudly at the statement that she sounded almost feral, and slammed her empty cup down on the table, demanding more sake from a bewildered servant before turning on Yasuo. "Obligation? OBLIGATION! You weren't fulfilling your obligation; you were saving your own ass from the fire!"

"I was doing what I thought was right!" Yasuo slung back. "My father was in ailing health and all he wanted of me was that I was properly secure in life. I'm sorry that he saw a blind tomboy as a threat to that wish, but it was not something I could change."

Aang, always the mediator, tried to wedge his way into the conversation, but was shoved back into his seat as Toph tossed the porcelain cup across the veranda. He heard it shatter off in the distance. "So what if you couldn't change it. You should have ignored it instead, and done what you wanted. Do you even remember what you told me, all of the plans that we made **together**? Did any of that ever matter to you; did _I_ ever matter to you?"

"Of course you mattered!" The man yelled back, slamming his glass down so hard that it cracked on the table, spilling the remnants of the sake that was left in the bottom. "I always planned to come back for you after my father's death! I am a man of my word, and I said that I would marry you, and I intended to do so. My family holds enough sway within society that I could have easily taken a second wife without question."

Toph was venomous now. "Do you really think I'd accept, after what you did? To be a secondary wife to anyone?"

"But isn't that what you're doing now?" Yasuo accused. "Anybody who keeps themselves informed in society _knows_ that the Avatar has intentions for the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe. And now you're weaseling your way into his affection by traveling with him. I can see now, that you are just seeking self service. You are just looking for the best way to get by in life without _working_ for it."

Toph paused a moment, trying to come up with a response to his degrading allegation. "At…at least I'm not a yellow coward who couldn't stand up to your parents because you were afraid that they might cut you off. You chose **wealth** and **power** over someone you loved. You let them decide your life for you. You have no ambition or drive to do what _you_ wanted to do. And as far as I'm concerned that makes you the lowest form of creature to ever crawl in the dirt. And I happen to like most of the creatures that do!"

"Don't even try to pull that on me! I have no ambition? Look at you. The farthest you ever planned ahead was into the next week. You had no long term goals, no plans for the future." Her ex-fiancé reminded her. Aang could tell this was getting well out of hand, but even as the Avatar he wasn't sure he could come away unscathed from intervening at this point. It was too far out of hand to resolve now, and he found himself overly curious about the true past she had with this man. He furrowed his brows in anger. _So he abandoned her to marry Mien Lo. He led her to believe she would be his wife, but passed her up for someone his parents liked better. And then, after all that, he accuses her of being a power-hungry gold-digger? She's better off without him._ He was quickly pulled from his inner monologue as Toph whipped something heavy across the table at Yasuo, narrowly missing his head. Aang hadn't seen what it was, but it landed with a resounding thud nearby. Yasuo was only stirring the pot more, and Aang thought he saw tears welling up behind Toph's eyes as the man spit out lies. "You can't be running around playing the hero forever. That's over with, that ended with the war, six years ago. You had a chance to do like your 'friends' did, become delegates, leaders, by god the Avatar, and make a difference in peoples lives. You went back home to your expansive estate, with your doting parents and stayed there. Then, when they tried to give you purpose, make you someone of some standing you ran away from them again, and cried 'oppression.' And then, you just hid behind the walls of your academy and _pretended_ to make a difference."

Toph was really heated up now, her face turning the deepest shade of red that he had ever seen. She snarled back at Yasuo. "I've worked myself to the _bone_ since I left to train Aang in earthbending. I pulled my _own_ weight, and still do. I don't want help, ask for help, nor do I _expect_ it to be given! I have single-handedly _earned_ everything I have. I didn't have my parents funding every ambition I had."

Both were clearly intoxicated by this point, and Aang was surprised they were making any sense at all. He wanted to say something, to tell the man off, but the words couldn't form in his mind. The angry words being slung between his friend and her ex had clouded his mind and all he could think of was how angry he was about what happened to her, how it was clear that she was betrayed, and how bitter he still was about his failed attempts with Katara.

Across from him, Yasuo tsked his tongue and smirked proudly, laying his final blows to her. "You are nothing but a pathetic has-been war hero who is off gallivanting with the Avatar trying to make herself feel important again. But you know what? Once this little venture of yours ends, you'll go back to being a lonely hermit living in that horrid house on the hill, with your deluded little student, making friends with the elderly because you can't socialize in normal society. Meanwhile, the deeds of the Avatar, and your other more noteworthy friends will be chronicled in history books forever. And you, you will only be remembered by the shreds of brief notations as being the blind girl that taught him to earthbend."

Toph was clenching her teeth now, biting back the words she wanted to say. Yasuo leaned back in his chair coolly, and continued. "And honestly, I don't see why the Avatar even wants you around. I'm sure after a few days with you he already finds it unbearable, and wants nothing more than to kick you to the curb again."

"Now wait just a damned minute!" Aang outburst at the accusation now being focused on him. Certainly, the comment had been made to demean Toph's quality of companionship, but it also called into question his moral fiber. _If I didn't believe so whole-heartedly in the passive solution to arguments, I would deck him! Not only for his attacks on me but for all of the vile things he is spewing about __**my friend**__._ In the distance, lighting flashed in the sky and thunder rumbled the earth as the earthbender beat him to the catch and flung herself across the table at Yasuo. Aang caught her before she sunk her claws into the man and yelled for her to calm down.

She ignored his plea and roared. "I don't care what the hell you say about me! Your thoughts about me are worthless pieces of trash anyway, but don't you _**dare**_ slander one of my friends, because I will rip the throat right out of your neck!"

Yasuo, tumbled back in his chair and clambered away, bewildered at her outright attempt to maim him. He now cowardly hid behind his chair, using it as a shield against an impending attack, as if it would do much good if she decided to bend the earth from beneath him and bury him alive, something Aang had no doubt she might think about such a possibility considering her current state. Toph struggled in Aang's grip, but he held tight around her waist. Thunder clapped again, threatening a heavy storm as she clawed at his hands, and finally she calmed down enough that the threat of her murdering someone dissipated.

He finally released her from her hold, and she stormed off through the garden, despite the impending rain that wasn't far off. Aang glared at the man, who was finally coming to his senses as his adrenaline from the encounter cleared some of the alcohol from his system. Neither man spoke as Aang turned away and pursued his friend. He caught up with her crossing a bridge over a deep stream that jutted through the property. "Toph, stop and come back. It's going to downpour any minute now."

Almost on cue, a huge bolt of lightning flickered across the sky followed by a boom of thunder. She turned on him and shouted. "I don't care. I can't stay in that house another minute with that bastard. Now leave me alone Aang or I swear I will hurt you."

"Just stop it!" Aang boomed. "I didn't do anything to cause your anger, and that jerk isn't worth it either."

She stomped her feet, splitting the earth and upsetting the wooden bridge he was now trying to cross. He whirled himself up in a gust of wind before she cast him into the river, and propelled himself ahead of her. He barely had time to deflect a torrent of stones being cast in his direction. "LEAVE ME ALONE. I'd rather stay anywhere else from here, even if it's in the stables with Appa and Momo."

She pounded on her skull with her fists. "I'm so INFURIATED!"

"You'll never get there before the storm hits. If you come back with me, at least you won't risk getting soaked through." He grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her towards him. That set her off and she shoved him backwards, tripping him with a rock she slammed up from the ground. She didn't make it very far, because she was still too drunk to walk straight, and he was on her again, running full speed and pinning her to the ground.

"Calm down!" He barked, and she finally stopped struggling beneath his weight. "So he was a jerk. You don't need him. You can find better, so quit being bitter and get over it!"

"I have _every_ right to be bitter." She retorted more calmly. Her head was clearing from her anger. "You think you know so much about heartbreak, but you haven't even touched the surface of what I've lived. You know nothing!"

"Then explain to me." Aang demanded. "Tell me exactly why it is that you hate him _so_ much that it's made you like this."

"Fine." She agreed. You want to know everything? I will tell you everything, but you won't like it."

* * *

**Author's Note: First of all I want to apologize for how long it took me to update. I hope you all forgive me. I suffered from a lack of inspiration and a case of busy schedule-itis. Like my now removed hiatus note mentioned, I had to move into a new house that I had to get settled into, and I'm in desperate search for a job, so I've been preoccupied. I was out of state for a while in May and without internet access (or my notes) for my sister's wedding. And today I had another wedding. Mostly I just had a hard time getting through this chapter because I'm too eager to write the "good parts" like what's happening in the next chapter, and getting to the Taangy goodness that is to come.**

**So, anywho, onto some trivia!**

**Rangsen, the hometown of Toph's ex-fiancé, is Chinese in origin, written as** 壤森 **and means Earth Forest.**

**Also, this was supposed to be a much more amicable chapter, wherein there isn't as much nasty fighting at the end, but it weaseled it's way in there, and in my opinion, better suits Toph's personality. Aang was also supposed to be more passive and not catch onto the whole Toph-Yasuo situation till the next chapter. We were also going to see more of Mien Lo (and how she is an airhead) but I couldn't find a way to fit it in properly, and I just don't like her. She's a backstabbing b***h.**

**Anyways, keep an eye out for more updates (hopefully sooner than this one came out) and recommend this to your friends if you think they'd like it. I'm a review junkie, and the more fans the better!**


	9. The Almost Bride

**Chapter Nine: The Almost Bride**

Music, playing softly in the background, muted by a buzz of voices from the crowd. Cutlery clinking against dishware, and the smell of that evening's meal; a collaboration of foods from all parts of the world that was becoming a popular meal plan as of late. Each one had it own unique smell, taste, and texture. And presented in an elaborate display of courses. First came an appetizer of fruit pie, an Air Nomad recipe rescued from an old cookbook in a library in Ba Sing Se. Following that were two courses of soup: the first made of sea prunes and the next one an aptly named five-flavor soup, both favorite recipes of the Water Tribe. However, their _unique_ taste made them less than popular elsewhere in the world. The meal continued with its main course, savory turkey duck breaded with fire flakes to make it crispy and spicy, and finished with a fruit salad made from moon peaches, ocean kumquats, mango, ash bananas, and leechi nuts. Throughout the meal, generous amounts of tea and sake were made available. Then there were vibrations of two or three dozen people shuffling their feet; the delicate steps of gossiping women, the unbalanced stride of men who had a little too much to drink, and the distant pattering of couples wandering off to somewhere secluded.

Toph Bei Fong sensed it all, and hated everything about it but the food. Here she was, all prim and proper, forced into coming to this mind-numbing social gathering by her overly proud mother. _Why I gave into this inanity is beyond me. I should have just buried myself in a hole and waited for her to give up._ She reflected, recalling the debacle she'd had with her mother barely a week ago, when she had come to pay her a visit. It had been the same old song and dance. Her mother asked how she was doing, how her reopening of the earthbending academy was, whether or not she was eating right and taking care of herself. All of this dispersed with apparent hinting that the girl should return home to the safety of her parent's estate.

Finally, when she had dropped the subject, she chose that point to goad her daughter into escorting her to a soiree being held by a neighbor. _Your father will be out of town overseeing some business, and I can't possibly show up by myself. There would be gossip about it for weeks and I don't know how I'd survive._ Toph recalled of the conversation. She had declined, and declined again, until her mother began to cry and claim that her daughter didn't love her anymore. The earthbender, not good at consoling someone at all, was horrified and conceded just to cease her mothers tears. _Wily old woman._ Toph noted of her mothers cunning ways to persuade her into things.

Beside her, the aforementioned woman was regaling their dinner companions with an exaggerated take on some escapade of her daughters, earning both she and Toph praises. The girl sighed; sick of the stories and being paraded around like a trophy. _Not to mention these ladies sound like a bunch of chickens squawking in a barnyard._ She hated gossip, and "keeping up" with society in general. Finally, she excused herself from the group, feigning a need to use the bathroom. Truly, all she wanted was to get away. Get away from the noise, and the people, and her mother.

And she wished she had thought to sneak along a change of clothes. What she wore had to be the most miserable outfit ever. Conned yet again into doing her mothers bidding, she had found herself thrown into a gaudy gown that had been insisted as being the proper attire for a young lady her age. _And I looked like a boy._ Was her mothers mumbled comment, but she had heard it. Her blindness had made it so her hearing was much more acute than others, a fact her mother often forgot. She sighed with displeasure and pulled at the high neck of the dress. It was a tragically uncomfortable thing made of silk that clung to her form. An emerald green trimmed with white, Miyu, the servant girl her parents had sent to her had said. It was tied unnecessarily tight at the waist, making it hard to breath or even sit for very long. She was sure it gave her an appealing figure, but she'd rather not draw attention from any of the men here.

It was easy for the earthbender to see that bringing her here was just a way for her mother to inflate her own ego. Toph's accomplishments had already catapulted her family's standing in society to the top in Gaoling. Now her mother just wanted to make others aware of it, as well as that she was trying to garner her and her father a place among the statutes of the most renowned in all of the Earth Kingdom. She had even heard whispers that her mother was trying to secure a home in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. _I'd bet Twinkletoes would love that, having my parents as his neighbors. I'd bet they'd even try to visit him and make nice, even though they accused him of kidnapping me not so long ago._ She chuckled at the thought.

Of course, she also suspected her mother of trying to make her new friends. For even though the rest of the gang held superstar status, she still didn't believe they were of the proper caliber for her daughter. She wouldn't even start about her mother's disapproval of her friendship with the two older ladies from the market, Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling. No, this was really her mother's feeble attempt to find her better acquaintances and to get her to act like the noble she was born as. It didn't help though, that Toph was likely the youngest attendee at this party. The one person she had been introduced to that was anywhere near her age was a girl who had married into one of the families in the neighborhood who, as it had been explained to her, was four years her senior and already married for three years with two small children at home and expecting a third this winter.

Her mother had shown such approval for this that it led Toph to suspect a third motive as to why she had to come, and not one of her mothers many other friends who would have enjoyed the festivities far more than she. Yes, she believed this was her mother's ideal way of finding her a husband. Among the long list of things the woman disapproved of about her daughters life, was that with her out on her own, she had no one to take care of her, and insisted that the servant girl was not enough.

She also chided her lack of interest in the opposite sex, but that was something Toph greatly hated about the way society worked in the Earth Kingdom and other parts of the world. _Already fifteen! And the last young man with interest in you was that sneaky airbending Avatar. Why haven't you even shown an interest in anyone? I worry about you._ Her mother had complained right after her birthday. It made her angry how girls her age were expected and encouraged to use their youth and innocence to win over the heart of a man of good status and money.

Then there was the other option some parents engaged in order to assure the proper match for their children. Arranged marriages. _A barbaric tradition._ Toph noted. Even as common as it still was, the thought of someone else choosing who she was supposed to share the entirety of her life with made her cringe. _Never. I'll never let them do that to me._ Though it made her wonder, after all the years of her parents sheltering, if there was really anyone they felt was truly worthy of being her husband.

She paused and slipped into a corner of the room and wait for the exit to clear._ Got to make a clean getaway. Can't be spotted. I have to be swift and silent, like a ninja, as if I wasn't even here. Mom won't have any clue to where I've disappeared too._ She waited there, as a group of raucous men wandered in, their drunken laughter booming like thunder. She scowled as they lingered at the doorway, flirting unashamedly with one of the young women who was serving the guests. Finally they cleared away, ushered to their seats by the host. The doorway that led out into the gardens was clear of any more witnesses, and she casually slipped out into the cool evening air.

"Gods, I didn't realize it was so hot in there." She commented to herself, wandering into the garden to a bench just off the pathway. She plunked herself down unceremoniously and rubbed her temples. Here it was quiet. The hedges muffled the sound of the voices, and she was far enough out of the way that the feel of people meandering about in the dining hall could no longer be felt. She leaned her head back and groaned as one of the pointy pins jabbed into her hair scratched at her scalp. She lifted her head back up and snatched the offending ornament out, that half of her hair falling out of it's coif into a pile on her shoulders.

The other pin, keeping the other side in place, began to strain and gave way under the pressure, and fell out before she could catch it. She cursed. "Damn."

Groaning, she pulled herself from the bench and down onto the ground, feeling around for the accursed thing. She wouldn't have bothered, but it was one of her mother's prized hairpins, made of rare wood from some tree in a swamp somewhere._ Hell if I know, or care, which one._ They were decorated with small gems and such, and were an anniversary gift from her father. It would be her head if she lost it. Unfortunately though, there was no metal on the pin, making it near impossible to find. She paused as someone walked up behind her. She scrambled out from under the bench, bumping her head in the process. Her mother would also have her head if she embarrassed the woman by crawling around on the ground. Not that she cared about embarrassing her, but she's rather not have to listen to the lectures and the months of whining that would follow.

"Looking for this?" A young man asked, placing the pin into her palm after picking it up.

Toph gripped the item and bowed to him. "Uh, thanks."

She turned away, and started walking towards a different part of the garden, but the young man followed. After a moment she turned back to him. "Why are you following me?"

"I just thought…maybe, that you should have an escort." He replied cautiously, weighing his words. "A lady shouldn't wander off on her own."

"Well, luckily, I'm no lady, so you can just go about your business." She tried to usher him back in the other direction.

He laughed and shuffled his feet. "Ah, well, I was also hoping to talk with you."

"Why the hell would you want to do that?" She brushed him off. She didn't like attention from strange men.

"It's not everyday one comes across a famed war hero." He explained. "And I'd love to hear about some of your adventures."

"I'm not into hero worship." She told him, and wondered why he couldn't see that she was trying to get rid of him.

He laughed. "Don't worry. Neither am I. Mostly it's that you looked lonely and a little bit bored. Could you use some company? Please?"

"I suppose." She spoke after a moment. She sensed he was the persistent type, and maybe if she let him tag along he'd get bored quick enough. She started walking again, letting him fall in beside her as she wandered around the garden. An awkward minute of silence later, he still was not gone, and she couldn't help but start a conversation. "Not your idea of fun either?"

"Not at all." He answered, a sound of relief in his voice that someone had spoken. "I'm not from Gaoling and don't really know anyone. I'm only here because an old school chum invited me."

They began talking about many different things. Earthbending. The political changes sweeping the nation due to her and her friends efforts in the war. The awful soup from dinner, which she had the misfortune of eating more than once due to her time with Katara. Eventually they found themselves talking about the Earth Rumble, and many, many other things from one end of the scale to another. It was an interesting conversation, if only for the fact that this was really her first encounter with a man since her time away from home. She only taught girls at the academy, and most other places she went she avoided talking to men. Ever since she had started to "blossom" as her mother had put it, she began getting unwanted attention, causing her to shy away from them and hide herself beneath her loose, boyish clothes.

He was different. He wasn't interested in her because of that, but because of what she had done and who she really was. It made her curious, and surprised her at the same time. Apparently her companion, who eventually introduced himself as Yasuo Fang Shi, was nothing like she imagined a young man to a noble family to be like. He seemed to feel the same way about living a cloistered life as a child, just as she had, and dreamt just as big as she did too. He envied her for having defied her parents by moving into her own home so young, and expressed his want to travel the world like she had, and learn new things from every nation he visited. They were somewhat akin in spirit. Unfortunately, he had the same woes as she too. His family expected him to marry into a family of the same social standing and carry on the family business and such. He also admitted his reluctance to disobey his parents in any way.

The evening grew later and later, and before she knew it they were the only guest left out in the garden, skipping rocks in the pond and goofing around. The fun was spoiled when her mother finally came looking for her, exasperated from her daughters sudden disappearance. Her demeanor softened when she found her again, and Toph could sense the surprise that she had actually talked with someone, let someone of the opposite sex.

"Toph, dear, it's time to get home." Her mother had told her, bowing to Yasuo before taking the earthbender by the hand and leading her away.

The young man interjected and bowed deeply to her mother. "Lady Bei Fong, if you'd allow it, I'd like to escort your daughter home."

One of the young earthbenders eyebrows popped up. "What?"

Beside her, her mother gasped quietly and fumbled for words. "A…oh, of course you may?"

Toph snickered, amused. Her mother was usually much more assured and eloquent. It entertained her to see her mother flabbergasted. _In fact, if I can get such an amusing reaction out of her, I might have to talk to guys more often._ She mused as her mother and Yasuo went over all of the formalities of introducing themselves. After that, the trio walked together towards the exit of the estate. Her mother's gaggle of friends were waiting for her near the gate. She gave her daughter a farewell hug and hurried to them. They all piled into their respective carriages and left for the evening.

Now alone, Yasuo took her by the arm and led her home. It had all seemed to go by too fast. They hadn't seemed to run out of words. And before she knew it they were standing at the gate to her home. He hemmed and hawed a few moments as they lingered at the gate, then finally bowed to her. "I suppose this is goodnight."

"I suppose it is." She echoed, bowing awkwardly back to him.

He turned to leave, and she turned to open the gate and head inside, but he stopped and turned back. He gently touched her shoulder and she paused, turning back to him. He ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't suppose I could come visit you. Maybe spend some more time together?"

"I'd like that." She answered honestly. Since coming back to Gaoling, it wasn't very often that she made friends, and there was something special she felt towards him. It made her eager to see him again.

"I call on you soon." He said. She could hear the smile in his voice. And more surprising, he leaned in and pecked her on the cheek before he finally left. She stood there, stunned, until he was long gone; her cheeks warm as she held a hand to where his lips had touched. She didn't realize it at the moment, but she had become completely smitten with him. Finally, she went inside, and smiled until she fell asleep.

* * *

Toph had come home after a long morning of training with her new students. An exhausting and daunting task for certain. The nobility in Gaoling were a bunch of snobs, and their daughters definitely displayed that quality during classes. It would take a while, but she would whip those girls in shape even if she had to make them cry first. She dropped down in a warm, sunny patch of grass in the yard. Stretching her limbs wide, she sprawled out and got ready to take a nice long nap before her biweekly Pai Sho game with her friends from the marketplace.

The young earthbender was also glad it was the weekend, meaning that she only taught in the mornings, and could have the afternoon all to herself. _Today is perfect for being lazy. Warm, breezy, and wonderful._ She sighed happily and closed her eyes, imagining the sound of Yasuo's voice and how his long, confident strides had felt when he walked next to her. She was sure she had a stupid smile too. It had been a while since the party, and her companion had yet to make good on his promise to come and see her. Still, he hadn't lied when he said that he would. It was likely though, that he had gotten busy or changed his mind, the latter of which made her sad.

Then she realized how stupid she seemed, worrying about some guy she had met _once_ at a party._ A party I didn't even want to be at._ She mused discontentedly, sitting up and resting her head on her knees. Her head was buzzing with too many thoughts for her to be able to nap. "I hate when that happens."

Grumbling to herself she threw herself backwards again and basked in the warmth of the sun. _He did mention that he was from out of town. Maybe he had to go back home?_ The thought depressed her even further and she groaned at her frustration. Why were guys always so complicated to figure out? She could figure out how to perfect an earthbending move, rebuild her academy, and get snotty noble girls to listen. With guys, she just ended up flabbergasted and either treated them coldly or tried to get buddy-buddy and ended up beating them up on accident.

She rolled onto her stomach and propped herself up on one arm, toying with the grass and trying as hard as she could to think of something else. Her distraction came when she felt someone coming into her estate from the front gate. She concentrated, trying to see if it was just Miyu or someone else she was familiar with. For a moment, she didn't recognize the feeling, but as the guest approached, she felt the long strides with footfalls that displayed their self-assured nature. She recognized him instantly and hopped to her feet, realizing that he'd probably think she looked like a mess in her dirty training clothes and unkempt hair. She tried to tame her locks, at least, in the few moments before he rounded the house.

She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke to her. "Toph, you look beautiful!"

"Th…thanks." She fumbled, feeling like an idiot standing there. "It's been a while since I've seen you, Yasuo."

"I am very sorry about that." He apologized genuinely. He approached and embraced her in a hug. "I was called back home by my parents right after the party. My father has been having some problems with his health as of late and I was asked to oversee some things while he recovered."

"That's understandable." She told him, leading him inside where Miyu had already made some tea for them. She sipped from her glass nervously. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been well." He commented, playing with the sleeve of his tunic. "I missed you."

Toph felt her face go red. It drove her nuts. She was Toph, she was tough. She shouldn't be acting this silly around some guy. Yet at the same time she liked it. She replied honestly. "I missed you too. I was beginning to wonder if you'd have forgotten about me."

"Never." He assured her. "I'm a man of my word."

"I can tell." She told him, and he laughed.

"I forgot you have such keen perception." He stated. He took a drink of the tea and set the cup back down and cleared his throat. "I was wondering, perhaps, if you'd like to get some lunch with me today."

"I'd love to." She blurted out, but suddenly remembered that she already had a prior engagement. "But I already have plans with friends for this afternoon."

"Ah, I see." He spoke sadly. "Maybe another time then?"

He stood up, preparing to leave, when she leapt up after him, grabbing his arm before he could go. She panicked a moment. She didn't want him to just leave. _Who knows if I'll see him again? I probably made him think that I don't like him!_ He paused and turned back to her.

"Would you like to come with me?" She asked earnestly. "I'm sure they won't mind, and we can get dinner instead."

"That sounds wonderful." He became more chipper with her offer and gave her a gentle embrace. "I'll come and call on you in a half hour, is that alright?"

"You have to leave?" She queried. "What for?"

He chucked. "Honestly, I just got back in to town this morning. I haven't even changed out of my traveling clothes yet, so I'm not really fit to go out. But I wanted to come see you before I did anything else."

"Oh." She replied, turning red again. He made her feel so important. "That's fine then. I'll see you in a half-hour then."

She smiled, and he kissed the back of her hand before leaving. She stood there, dumbfounded until Miyu came back in to clear out the dishes. The young earthbender suddenly came out of her stupor, suddenly remembering that she probably looked like a mess, and turned to the younger girl. "Miyu!"

The girl jumped, the dishes clattering on the tray as they tipped over. "Yes, m'lady?"

"I told you to cut out the m'lady crap." Toph told her, leaning down to help her pick up the cups.

"Okay." The girl agreed. "What is it you need?"

"I need your help." She informed her. She was about to request something she had never done before. _I can't believe I'm actually going to do this! What happened to the tough as rock Toph Bei Fong?_ She stood and rubbed her neck.

"I need you to help me look **pretty**. Not like overly done formal gown like my mother likes, but subtle, classy," Toph continued, the next part being what she would dislike the most. "And not dirty looking."

"Really?" Miyu asked, an incredulous tone in her voice. Toph couldn't see it, but the girl's eyes went wide and her mouth gaped a bit. It was the most unusual thing for the earthbender to ask this. In fact, she had _never_ asked this before.

"Yes." Toph said through gritted teeth. _If I want to impress him, I have to look nice._ She followed Miyu into the large master bedroom. "As much as I hate it, yes."

* * *

"For as much as you complain about dressing up," Miyu began, running a comb through the earthbenders hair. "You do clean up pretty decent."

"Yea, yea, yea." Toph groaned. She couldn't believe she was doing this. _For a guy no less. You'd think I'd have more self-respect than that._ It made her wonder what happened to the tough as rock Toph Bei Fong, the Blind Bandit, from all those years ago. The younger girl shuffled behind her and threw a few locks of hair over the earthbender shoulder. "I get that a lot."

Miyu stepped out from behind her and swept Toph's bangs off to the side so her eyes could be seen. She did nice work. Her lady looked like a lady, but the outfit still fit her personality, unlike the overly frilly dresses her mother often tried to force her into. This ensemble was just right. She had chosen a soft green tunic with an open neckline, with white and gold beads embroidered in along the edging. Of course, her lady wore a pair of tan pants that cut off at the knee and showed off her piece of meteorite jewelry that she had decided to wear her left ankle today. "You do look nice though. I think your beau will be impressed."

"You think so?" Toph asked brightly, giving away her delight that she looked nice. Miyu giggled and put a headband embellished with gold coins on her head just as a knock came from the front door. The earthbender took a deep breath and walked to the front door, opening it wide as she flashed her best smile. "Hi!"

"Hello." Yasuo chuckled and gave her a hug like he had earlier. She returned the hug a bit shyly, nervous about her appearance. Whether he had noticed or not went unsaid, but he seemed thrilled to see her nonetheless.

The two set off, leaving Miyu standing in the doorway as they disappeared down the hill. She chuckled and called after the couple. "Have fun."

And it was fun. Toph hadn't had such a good time in a while. And while her friends didn't seem too thrilled with the new addition to their shenanigans, they didn't object to the budding relationship. Dinner afterwards seemed to go by as fast as their evening at the party. The conversation went on and on, until they had to leave the restaurant for home.

It was a perfect day, Toph reflected later on, as she crawled into her bed. The two had promised to exchange letters, and to keep in touch often. She looked forward to it with great anticipation. She hardly heard from her friends anymore, and getting letters again would make her feel less lonely.

The letters came regularly, usually two a week, and she would wander down to the market to have either Yu Lin or Mrs. Ling read the letters. And Yasuo came to visit whenever he could and they would go of on adventures, and talk the night away about future ambitions. This man seemed as carefree and willing as she was, to go out into the world and do amazing things. He wanted to go with her, and work along side her. He was a nobleman's son, but he didn't want to be trapped behind the walls of his family's estate forever. They seemed to be kindred spirits, with the same thoughts and feelings and dreams. It wasn't a surprise then, barely a year after they had met, that he requested that their parents meet.

It was a flurry of pomp and circumstance. Her parents were overjoyed that someone had any interest in their tomboyish daughter. They were proud, and worried at the same time. Her mother threw one of her fits until the girl at least conceded to wearing some ridiculous frock and pinchy shoes. It didn't matter much to the young earthbender. She was happy. Whatever her parents did after this didn't concern her much. She was a bit nervous, however, when Yasuo and his parents arrived in a caravan of servants at the Bei Fong's front door.

Everything went smoothly, much to her surprise. The parents all got along well; after all they had some things in common at least. Both her father and his were in the trade business, and they talked about expanding their connections to the other nations to improve their merchandise. The mothers quietly discussed their homes and their social circles, and stuff that bored Toph. The young woman was distracted by her own conversation, deeply discussing with Yasuo her wish to move her school to Ba Sing Se and make it open to anyone willing to learn to earthbend, no matter their status or disabilities.

It was in the middle of this that her companion excused himself, and requested that her father join him for a walk. She was highly tempted to sneak away and follow them, but was too soon grabbed by her mother and brought into the matronly conversation. She half-paid attention, listening for the returning footsteps. It wasn't long before the two men returned, and she sensed something jovial in their tread. Yasuo came up quickly and pulled her up towards him, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pronouncing happily to the rest. "I've just talked it over with Master Bei Fong, and he has given me permission to marry his daughter!"

"What?" she choked as the room burst out in the applause from their families. Toph was a bit taken back. At first she was confused, then angry, which faded almost instantly into nervous excitement. "Us, married?"

"Yes, isn't it wonderful? You and I, together, fulfilling all our dreams!" Yasuo confirmed holding her tight. The earthbender had never fancied herself to be the married type. It went against almost everything she had aspired to be growing up. Strong, independent, and free. Yet, somehow it seemed that this might still be something she could still retain.

She was paraded about in front of his parents, getting hugged furiously by both as Yasuo introduced her to them as his fiancé. "Mother, father, meet your future daughter-in-law, the future Lady Toph Fang Shi."

Everything was different after that. At her request, a short wedding was prepared, and she found herself in the midst of women who dragged her from dress fittings, to caterers, and all of the other in betweens required for a wedding between two powerful noble families. She wasn't too thrilled with any of it. The dress felt like some horrible heavy thing, with layer upon layer of silky fabric and a neckline that practically choked her, with so many sleeves she thought her hands to be lost forever. It was wretched, and she could barely move in it. All of the people were annoying, wanting her opinion on this and that and the other thing.

Eventually she just told her mother to have whatever she wanted. The earthbender, quite frankly, could care less about all of the stupid details as long as she got to marry him in the end. The thought of being his wife consumed her, and it made her feel happier than she had ever been. Small reprieves from the frantic planning, like their trip to Kyoshi for Sokka and Suki's wedding. She loved being able to surprise her friends with her announcement that she too would be experiencing wedded bliss in the near future.

They all seemed thrilled for her, though Katara chastised her for her hastiness, but in the end gave her approval of her future husband. It was all so perfect, and so wonderful. She was so oblivious to how it was about to fall apart around her.

* * *

She was standing on a pedestal, with her mother circling her like a hawk, with a seamstress in tow. Another dress fitting, and the last before the wedding, which was only a short two weeks away. She had insisted that Yu Lin and Mrs. Ling come to give their opinion on the finality of the garb. She trusted that they wouldn't let her mother get too out of control. In the corner, Miyu had been enlisted to carry around the seamstress's kit. And here she was, bulked down by the dress and wanting nothing more than to put on her most comfortable clothes again. She wondered if she would even be able to walk in the thing.

At the back of her mind, though, something was eating at her thoughts. After returning to Gaoling after Sokka's nuptials, Yasuo had been called back to his family in Rangsen, on what sounded like urgent business. That had been nearly three month ago, and she hadn't heard a single word from her soon-to-be husband since. Her stomach did a flip and she felt her heart leap into her throat. She was starting to have doubts and worries; unfounded as they were. It seemed like forever before her mother finally approved of the last touches to her dress, and she shed the garment as quickly as possible.

Noticing her distraction, Yu Lin pulled the young earthbender aside, and casually questioned her. "Are you all right dear? You seem to not be yourself."

Toph dipped her head, and dug her toes into the dirt. "I don't know. I still haven't heard anything from him, and I've just got this feeling."

"A feeling?" The older woman encouraged as the earthbender trailed off.

"Yes." Toph affirmed, continuing. "I feel like this is all about to go to hell in a hand basket. Like he's not coming back for me, as if something else has become more important."

"What could be more important than you dear?" Comforted the woman, putting a hand on the girls face. "He loves you, right? Otherwise this whole wedding wouldn't be happening."

"I suppose you are right." She conceded, letting out a sigh and relaxing the tenseness in her shoulders. "Still, I think I should go make sure everything is okay. As much as I'm against it, I'll take the next airship to Rangsen and see what's going on. Will you keep an eye on Miyu?"

"Of course dear, just hurry back." Yu Lin embraced her, and then gently held the girls chin in her hand. "And don't worry, okay."

Toph nodded, and bounded off towards home to pack. Mrs. Ling, who had been watching the exchange, approached her friend and shook her head. "You lied to that poor girl. You know as well as I do that something sneaky is going on with that man of hers."

"We don't have any proof of that." Yu Lin chided. "Still, there's something amiss it seems."

Mrs. Ling rolled her eyes. "I never trusted the man. Seemed too good to be true. I bet he's hiding something, like an illegitimate kid or some hanky panky hussy, that he has to get rid of before he ties the knot."

"Mrs. Ling!" Yu Lin sounded surprised. "Aren't ladies not supposed to talk about such things?"

"I'm an old woman and I've lived a long life." Chuckled the older woman. "I can talk about whatever I darn well please."

* * *

Toph had reached Rangsen in almost no time, and she tentatively approached the door of the large estate. _Maybe I should just trust him and wait until he comes back to Gaoling for the wedding. No! I need to do this or else coming here was a complete waste._ She mused a moment more, then rapped on the door. A young boy with scraggly hair came up to the door and peeked out.

"Who is you missus?" he asked, looking up at her.

She crouched low and smiled at the boy, mussing his hair. "My name is Toph Bei Fong and I'm here to see my future husband, Yasuo.

"_Your_ future 'usband?" The boy asked, as though he was confused. "If'in you wait here, I can go an' get 'im."

"You do that okay?" She affirmed, and plunked herself onto a bench in the foyer. She sat and waited, and then waited some more. She must have waited there for nearly an hour before she got sick and tired of waiting. Fed up with being stuck there, she stood and began wandering her way through the estate. She'd been here once before, shortly after they had announced their engagement, so she knew the layout of the place.

Adeptly, she weaved down corridors. It wouldn't take her long to find the suite that was Yasuo's room. However, what she sensed stopped her in her tracks as she approached. From the room just ahead of her, she could feel the presence of two bodies, closely entwined. As she got closer she could hear their muffled whispers. One she recognized clearly as that of her fiancés. The other was a female voice, high pitched and a bit whiny.

In that single moment, she felt her heart crashing from her chest into a million irreparable pieces onto the floor. She couldn't be there another moment, yet she felt frozen in place. It wasn't until she felt the footsteps of the servant boy and Yasuo's father coming down an adjacent corridor did she snap out of it. Her mind screamed. _Get out of here. Pretend I never came. Go home and forget everything. FORGET EVERYTHING._ Her feet moved beneath her and she was able to make it out into the nearby courtyard before being discovered peeping outside the door.

"I know I lef' 'er there in the foyer. Told 'er to wait. I come straight here, but Master Yasuo was _preoccupied_ with Lady Mien Lo, so I come an' get you Master Fang Shi." She could hear the boy explaining to the older man. "I can only s'pose she either got sick o' waiting an' lef' or she come here to find the master 'imself."

"Stupid boy." Yasuo's father remarked, slapping the boy upside the head. "Of course she didn't go home. Why would she?"

"Maybe she knows about the change." Commented the boy. They paused outside the bedroom door, and then turned to head into the courtyard. She was tempted to bury herself in a hole in the ground and wait until they left again. But something about the comment made her curious, and the fact that she knew wholeheartedly that she had been betrayed by Yasuo made her angry. And she needed to vent.

The old man paused when he saw her standing there, defiantly, in the courtyard. He pointed a bony finger at her. "Didn't your mother teach you manners girl? Don't you know it's rude to go traipsing about another's home without permission?"

"Don't you know it's rude to let your son have an affair when he's supposed to be getting _married_ in **two weeks**?" She spat back. The old man was taken aback by her comment. They had only met a time or two before, as he was constantly in ill health. All those times, she had been masquerading as a prim and proper lady because her mother feared she might scare the family away.

Now, she didn't care much what they thought of her. Anything she had done could not compare to the shame they were bringing upon themselves. Toph could feel her blood boiling as she stood there. The father approached and glared at her. "What did you see?"

"You know damn well what." She was only getting madder.

The old man chuckled. "Then I'll have you know that was no affair, you, you sham. That woman in there is his wife. And a good thing too. I can only imagine what it would be like for him to be wed with you."

"_I _am his fiancé. Our wedding has been in the works for months." She growled and took a threatening step towards him. He jumped back.

"Not anymore. We found a more suitable woman." The father retorted. "She is far more cultured and _feminine_ than you. Don't think we didn't know about your ruse. You are a famous woman, the Avatar's earthbending teacher. It seemed like a promising match, but there was no way that we could have allowed such an uncontrollable woman to be the future Lady of the Fang Shi household."

"Why? What's wrong with me?" She got defensive.

"You are uncultured, unrefined, dirty, and abhorrent. You don't follow rules or etiquette, and you are plotting the downfall of all the Fang Shi. Trying to take my son and trek around the world like peasants." The father accused, coughing a moment and catching himself. "You would lead this family to ruin by keeping him from making the business prosper. He has duty's here!"

"I would not _ruin_ your family, old man!" She said, growling and putting her face in his. "He doesn't want to live your life. That's his choice, not mine! How dare you accuse me of such things! Once the other families find out about this, they won't allow their sons or daughters anywhere near your treacherous family. You've ruined the Fang Shi yourself by letting that hussy into his bed!"

The old man reeled back and swung his hand forward, slapping her so hard across the face that it stung long after the attack. The mere shock that he could dare raise a hand to her, let alone muster the strength left her dumbfounded. It gave him enough of an opening to push her back into a wall and restrain her wrists over her head. "The only hussy around here is you, _Miss_ Bei Fong. You trounce about like a harlot, half dressed through your academy without any respect for decency or decorum. You are not worthy of the name Fang Shi. You are a succubus, and a runaway. You flaunted about with the Avatar as a child, and now think you are worthy of any regard."

He took his free hand and squeezed her behind hard. "The only worth you might have is to serve as a concubine to some fat noble. Maybe then that would teach you your place!"

"Fuck you!" She screamed, tears streaming down her face. She had been degraded and manhandled for the last time by this man. Her mind clouded with anger and she head butted him. He reeled back, looking up just in time to see her fist flying at him.

She hit him dead on, blackening his eye before she buried him up to his neck in the ground. "I am no whore! I have more worth and more honor in my big toe than this entire family has in it's entire lineage!"

She reeled back ready to take another swing, and possibly blacken his other eye, when strong hands grabbed her from behind and pinned them behind her back. Yasuo's voice rung in her ears. "What the hell are you doing woman? Why are you assaulting my father!"

"She's gone mad with jealousy my boy!" His father lied. "She is upset that you chose a much more respectable and behaved woman as your wife."

Yasuo pulled her away and back into the estate as some servants rushed to unbury his father. He threw her into a spare room and glared at her. "What's gotten into your head you fool?"

"I might ask you the same thing!" She accused. "You completely disappear, and I come here and find that you've gone off and married another woman. Where is your honor?"

"The same place yours is, apparently." He scowled. "Now calm the hell down, and when you do, get the hell off of my property and never come back."

"But, Yasuo…" She cried, coming down off her adrenaline rush. He pushed her back as she tried to grab his arm, and knocked her to the ground. And then disappeared out the door. She grabbed her head with her hands, and did the only thing she could think of. She screamed and cried, and screamed some more until she couldn't scream anymore. Then, there was someone at the door again. She turned her head, and realized it was the woman who was apparently Yasuo's new wife. She knew the boy had said her name earlier, but right now she didn't care.

"Are you all right miss?" The woman called out, cautiously coming up next to her.

Toph pushed her back. "Go away!"

"Please, let me help, if I can?" She pleaded. "Tell me what my husband or father-in-law did to make you suffer this way."

"You have no idea do you?" The earthbender questioned her, going to push her away again, when her hand came in contact with the woman's slightly protruding stomach. This only made her more sick. The woman was pregnant already.

"No, please, let me help." She asked again.

"Help?" Toph scoffed, getting to her feet again. She had to get away before her anger came back. "You couldn't help me. You're the cause of what's wrong."

"What?" The woman asked, confused, and rubbed her belly.

"You are a sneaky, dirty, husband stealing tramp." Toph said calmly as she could. "You are a dream crushing, love destroying hussy, and somehow you will see the repercussions of it."

"Now see here." The woman defended. "I am none of those things."

Toph turned and grabbed the woman by the shoulders, shaking her a bit. "I was his fiancé for nearly six months. We'd been together for over a year. Our wedding was supposed to be two weeks from now. And then you slink in here and take him out from under me. It was dirty, and underhanded, and you will face your comeuppance."

"I…I…" She stuttered as Toph released her and headed for the door. The earthbender turned back, leaving the stunned woman shaking like a leaf where she stood.

"Just watch and see." Toph spoke with venom in her voice. "Your family is going to suffer because of this! You, your husband, and your CHILDREN! This betrayal is going to come back and bite you! His unfaithfulness, his cruelty, his greed; it will all turn back on you all! Karma is a bitch, and when it comes after you I'll be watching and LAUGHING!"

* * *

Toph returned home, a numb shell. It later turned out that the Fang Shi family had sent her parents a letter calling off the wedding. It had gotten there just hours after she had set out for Rangsen. Her mother, upset, questioned her daughter about what the girl had done to ruin such a perfect match. But it just got shrugged off.

The earthbender went back to her home, and stayed there a long, long time. She hid in her bedroom and sobbed like no one would have expected of her. She did not go out to teach; she did not go and visit her friends. She just stayed there and let out her agony until one day Yu Lin forced her way in. There, she offered up words of comfort that finally brought the girl back into the world. "The past is the past. It can't be changed. Stop living for what you've already done and live for what you've yet to do."

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I am back off of hiatus! My computer is finally up and running, and I have some extra time to work on this story since I only have one summer class. I hope to continue to update this story and keep you all from having to wait so long. Please, keep the reviews coming. All of the ones from during my hiatus have encouraged me to keep going and to make sure I get back to this story!**


	10. Leaving the Past Behind

**I LIVE! And I come bearing a tasty update. There's a little bit of drama, but mostly just mushy gushy-ness.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Leaving the Past Behind**

A streak of lightning jolted across the sky, lighting up Toph's face. Aang could see the beginning of tears welling up in her eyes as she finished telling him her story. The lighting was followed by a loud clap of thunder that shook the ground around them, as the sky opened up and dropped pounding rain down on them. Whether she had actually started to cry was lost in the pelting rain.

"Now you know, okay!" she yelled over the sound of the rain hitting the earth and drowning out the sounds of the rest of the world. "That's why I hate him! He betrayed me! And then, after all of that, I'm the one that gets manhandled, and blamed, and hurt!"

"Toph," Aang began, but she began wriggling beneath him, her anger still controlling her. She hated opening up her heart like this. True, it was to Aang, but there were only so many secrets one shared with friends, and even more so to friends you had barely seen in three years. She wrenched her arms around, and his grip slipped, plunging his face deep into her bosoms.

Horrified, he recoiled and jumped away, giving her enough time to get up and sprint away from him. He sprang into her path, blocking her from trying to leave. He grabbed her shoulders and tried to calm her down. "You're right; it's not fair that you were the one who was blamed for it all! That you are the one who has to suffer the consequences of someone else's cruel decision. But, you're better than this! You are Toph Bei Fong, the world's greatest earthbender!"

"Just. Leave. Me. Alone." she growled, wrenching away from him again, and sinking him up to his knees into the ground. "I don't want to talk about this anymore! I want to forget it! I just want it all to go away!"

Aang bent himself out of the ground as she turned and ran away. He considered going after her, but it was now just a lost cause. He had tried, again and again, to calm her down, to get her to see that Yasuo was not worth her anger. But she was too caught up in her rage, and still to drunk to think clearly. He watched as she stormed off through the pelting rain, back towards the other side of the estate. _I can't just let her go. She might do something she'll regret in the morning._ With that thought, he began pursuing her again, and calling her name. "Toph!"

Toph wasn't sure if she was angry or just miserable, but she didn't want to talk anymore. Aang would try to make her see the best of the situation, but she had tried to do that for years, and never found success. _What could he possibly say or do that would change that?_ She fumed as she stomped off, back the way she had come, intent on making her own exit if she had too. Right now, she just had to get far enough away from the damned optimistic airbender.

Rain soaked her through, all the way through the layers of fabric, and glued her now disheveled hair to her face. She could feel the thunder rumbling and shake the earth. She hated rain. The droplets pounding into the earth made it hard for her to see where she was, but through all of the static, she could make out structures. Ahead of her was the bridge they had come over, that made a path over a now angry raging stream. Wind whipped around and lashed her wet locks around as she made her way across.

It wasn't easy going. The storm was getting more violent by the minute, effectively blinding her from being able to see. But she didn't care; she would crawl if she had to, if it meant getting away from all the damned people. The rain had made the wood bridge slick, and her bare feet slipped from under her. She fell to her knees against the railing to her right. Over the pounding of the rain, she could hear Aang's voice, faintly, calling her name. _He just doesn't get it, does he?_ Her mind growled, as she was angrily trying to stand up again before he could catch her. Her feet were caught up in the heavy, wet skirts of the borrowed dress, and further hindered her attempts to stand. Grabbing onto the nearby railing, she finally hoisted herself up; bracing herself against it as she cautiously stepped forward. The bridge moaned as the wind and the rain slammed into it.

Suddenly, she heard a loud crack that shook everything around her. At first, she thought it was the thunder again, until the bridge beneath her feet jolted downwards and became rickety in the wind. It swayed uncontrollably from one side to another. She lost her balance a moment and fell hard on her bottom, cursing to herself. "Damn!"

Toph realized that her little fit of bending as Aang had chased her had loosened the underwater supports of the bridge and destabilized it. Now it was only a matter of time before the whole bridge fell apart and sank to the bottom of the deep stream, and took her along with it. A second time, she pulled herself up on her feet. This time she stayed latched to the railing, and attempted a dead run to the other side, but the sopping wet skirts of her dress tangled up around her feet and continued to trip her.

The bridge jolted again, much harder this time, and tipped at a sharp angle to the right as the final supports snapped loose. Cold water rushed up against her legs and she knew that the bridge was sinking. The water lashed at her as the bridge began to tip over. _If I keep holding on, this stupid bridge might tip completely and definitely drown me, or, I can throw myself away from it and hope that I'm close to the embankment and can get to solid ground. _She had to make a quick decision, either way, with her luck, it probably wouldn't end well.

She decided in an instant, and threw herself into the water towards what she hoped was the bank. The water was even colder than she imagined when landed felt like a million tiny pins were pricking at her flesh, and she struggled to reach the surface. She could not swim, this she knew, but her hope was that if she stayed above water long enough she would hit solid ground. She bobbled up to the surface and flailed her arms out, but all around on either side was water and more water.

It swept her, faster and faster, downstream, and it got harder to stay afloat. Her last hope was that Aang had managed to catch up with her in time (despite her efforts to get away from him), and would see that the bridge had collapsed. She just had to stay above water long enough for him to see her in the water. The minutes blurred by, and her arms were getting tired, and her hope fading. The current kept trying to push her under, and it was a struggle to keep her head above the surface. In a dark corner of her mind, she thought of him being too late and having to pull her body from the water. It made her heart lurch. And she could only imagine how thrilled Yasuo would be if she were gone, the last remnant of a dirty past. It wasn't fair that it had to be this way. If she were going to die, she'd rather it be a gory death deep in the heat of battle. Not as a poor, drunk, defenseless blind girl who drowned.

She gasped for air, losing her last bits of strength as her limbs went numb. And she sank, deeper and deeper, as the air in her lungs slowly trickled out. Her lungs ached dully, telling her she should breathe, and she gasped in the cold water. Her chest burned, and it hurt in her heart. Her consciousness began to drift away, and her will to fight and stay alive faded more quickly. Her body stopped fighting, and let began to slip further in the cold darkness. She drifted away from consciousness. Then, she felt warm and safe, and protected. And then she was gone.

* * *

Aang clutched Toph's limp body as he bounded away from the shore. The rain had eased to a dribble now, but the river from which he had just pulled her was still raging fiercely. It was pure luck that had allowed him to do so. Chasing her had been a good thing, because he had seen that the bridge had pulled away from its footing. At first he thought that she had done it herself to keep him from following, but then he managed to catch a glimpse of green fabric that had caught on the splintered wood fluttering on the surface of the water. He didn't hesitate to burst into a run, using his bending to make him faster.

_She can't swim! She can't swim! She can't swim! _His mind yelled at him as he chased the current to wherever it had carried her. He caught sight of her head bobbing up and down in the water, just as she was pushed under a final time. He had dived headfirst in, and used his waterbending to whip them up out of the river.

Now he was laying her gently in the grass, he leaned his head in and listened for the sound of her breath. _Nothing. Nothing at all!_ Panic began to set in, but he took a long breath as he remembered the maneuver that Katara had taught him. Tenderly, he tilted her head back and pulled her mouth open. Concentrating, he sought out the water that had filled her lungs and was blocking her air supply. Slowly he worked it up and out, a little at first, and then more once he had his focus on it. Still, she did not draw a breath.

Placing his hands on her chest, he massaged it, trying to coax her into breathing. When that still didn't help, he took a breath, and placed his lips gently over hers, breathing air into her. That must have done the trick because the moment he pulled away she began to cough furiously as the air attacked her lungs. Her eyes flew open and he felt a great wave of relief wash over him. She slowly sat up, clutching at the grass.

"Am I dead?" she asked in a froggy voice. Aang chuckled and embraced her. She jumped at the physical contact. "Aang?"

"You're fine now," he reassured her, holding her closer. "I've got you."

"Th…thank you," she said genuinely, but a bit surprised. The last thing she could recall was sinking deeper into the icy water, waiting for her death to come. _But I'm not dead. Aang saved me. He still came after me even when I told him not to, and he rescued me._ She was still a bit taken aback. The near death experience had shaken her in a way she could hardly fathom, and she was grateful that Aang had found her, just like she had hoped for as she careened mercilessly down river. She felt warm inside all of a sudden, but it was quickly overtaken by a strong shiver that shook her whole body. It was still in the early part of spring, so the water hadn't yet warmed up, and the nights still held a bitter chill.

"You're freezing," Aang stated, gathering her up in his arm. She protested at first, but he shushed her. "Let's go somewhere dry."

It was quiet between them, as the airbender carried her away from her bad past. She was exhausted, and snuggled into Aang's warmth._ How is he so warm?_ Her tired mind wondered. She mused on the reasons, deciding that he must be using his firebending to warm himself. She remembered on night, at the Southern Air Temple, where she and Katara had slunk up on either side of Zuko because of an unusually cool night, and how he radiated warmth then. This was how Aang felt now. It was like curling up in a warm blanket, and it comforted her enough that she finally dropped her guard and sighed. Before she knew it, she had dozed off.

Aang looked down at her as her eyes drifted closed, and her grip around his neck loosened up. She seemed peaceful now, not angry and bitter like earlier. He smiled, and held tighter to her. _Don't worry Toph, I'll protect you. Even if it's from yourself._ He liked this feeling. He liked that he actually felt needed. After the war, he was no longer needed as a savior. He was just a peacekeeper. He felt as though he was like Toph was after the war: a trophy to be shown off. Something to make conversation over. But now, there was the looming threat of terrorism and coups. He could do more than show people how to agree or to wave to adoring crowds. He could make differences. He'd been so afraid of it as a child, but now he had made it his mission.

As he mused, he was distracted from his thoughts by a bright light coming towards him. Emerging from the distance was Yasuo with a lantern in hand, and their bundle of clothes in the other. Aang felt all the of the other feelings rush away as his anger jumped out and began building up in his chest, and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself before the man got to them.

"You managed to catch her I see," he stated cautiously, handing Aang the bundle as he gazed at the young woman in the Avatars arms with a regretful look in his eye.

"Yes, I did, and we're leaving now," Aang said with a defensive tone. He wasn't sure if he was glad if he was a pacifist or not, because at this moment he really wanted to punch Yasuo right in the face, but held back. The airbender brushed past him, but stopped when the man put his hand on his shoulder.

"Can I," Yasuo began, pausing when Aang glared back at him. "Can I at least offer my apologies? My behavior tonight was abhorrent and I shouldn't have had so much to drink."

Aang shook his head and shrugged his shoulder away from his hand. "She's asleep, besides, I doubt your half-hearted apology will make up for everything that you've done to her."

"Pardon?" Yasuo asked, an incredulous look on his face that gave away his immense shame. He knew that Toph had revealed everything to him.

"I know what happened, and I know what you did to her," Aang replied bitterly. "You led her on, lied to her, let your father _hit_ her, and then made her out to be the bad guy. I'm sure you thought she'd just brush it off, but that's not how it turned out. She may be tough on the outside, but on the inside she's sensitive like anyone else. I hope you feel proud of yourself and of this cushy little life you're leading."

Without speaking another word, he turned his back to the traitorous man, and could still feel him watching as he walked away. Aang lost himself in thought as he meandered through half-empty streets, sleeping earthbender in his arms. He ignored the whispers from the shadowy courtesans and beggars as he zigzagged to o the stables. As he slipped inside the door, Appa let out a happy grunt and nuzzled the airbender. Aang shushed him and laid his friend down beside the warm animal before he used his waterbending to wring the water from both of their clothes, before covering her with a blanket he rummaged out of their bags. Momo stirred from where he had settled in at Appa's neck and perched himself on Aang's shoulder as he did, watching curiously as Aang took great care not to wake Toph up. _She needs her beauty sleep._ He recalled their conversation that first night back together. He stifled a chuckle as Momo precariously pounced off his shoulder and nudged himself in under Toph's arms. Pretty soon, the only one left awake was Aang himself.

He paced a bit, and then decided he should try to sleep too. He stretched out and yawned, then billowed up a pile of hay next to her, before gently dropping down. He draped a blanket across his lap and closed his eyes, but sleep seemed to avoid him. He sat up and dropped his head down into his knees, sighing long.

His thoughts were still scrambled. About Toph, this fiasco, and more importantly, about Katara. He had thought that love was the only thing you ever really needed to make a relationship work. But he had just learned of Toph's own bitter experience, that sometimes even love can't be champion. What if this was also true of Katara? She loved him, she had said so. And he loved her. Yet their relationship was strained right now. Would it follow similar form as Toph's? That other things would become more wanted than love. That either one of them might choose something else over their love? _I haven't been thinking about her as much as I should have._ He chided himself. _I've been too preoccupied by my own wants and needs to really think about how she felt._

Still, had she thought about him at all? He didn't doubt that she had, but had it been as little as he thought of her? It was already clear that they had drifted apart. Her ambitions had changed, just like Yasuo's had. Was it too late for them as it had been too late for Toph? He didn't suspect her of the same licentious activities as the man, but it made him think. He thought some more, and finally made up his mind on the matter.

He was going to let Katara follow her ambitions. He wasn't going to try to persuade her to do anything else. He didn't want to risk pushing her to a point where it would ruin their relationship entirely. And to that same end, he was going to continue with his own plans. He would return to Ba Sing Se and relate his tale to the Earth King and the Nations Council. He would end this attempted coup, and bring down the terrorists known as the Black Band Bandits. After all that, he would return to Katara's side, and start fresh. No accusations, no pressure. And he would see if their love was really strong enough to withstand such things.

Finally, with his mind now emptied. The sleep that had been grasping at the edges of his thoughts had finally taken him away to dreams.

* * *

Toph's eyes fluttered open, and the heaviness that she had felt had long since ebbed away. Around her, she could sense that they were no longer at Yasuo's estate, but back in the stables where they had started out. Momo was curled up at her stomach, his nasally breathing muffled by the blanket. Appa was her pillow, and he breathed gently, and made a noise to let her know that he was awake too. There was something snuggled against her back, and she stayed still, feeling the fluttery vibration of another heartbeat so close to hers. It took her a moment to realize that this was Aang. She noticed that not only was he cuddled up with her, but as she stirred in her spot, the arm he had draped over her waist in the night was pulling her closer to him.

She smiled to herself, and continued to lay there rather than shove him away from her. He seemed quite content nestled up next to her. And, as much as she'd like to not admit to having mushy gushy girly-like feelings, she liked having him there. It was nice to feel wanted, even if Aang didn't realize it, and even if he had she knew that it was platonic. Still, after those years of being without the close comfort of friends like him, she just wanted to relish the moment a bit more. Smiling more, she closed her eyes again and pretended to sleep, and waited for Aang to "wake up" first and save him any embarrassment he might have.

* * *

**Please excuse the "horizontal rulers" that break up parts of the story here (see the line thingy directly above this text). has decided to be hateful and not allow me to use the centered dash mark breaks that I used to use to break up chapters into sections. So, from now on, I'll be using bold text for any Authors Notes so you can tell what is and isn't story. Quite personally, I hate the way the ruler thing makes stories look, but c'est la vie. Now to go dink with every other chapter and fix them in this same manner.  
**


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